Jake951

The "normal" range in my 997.1 GT3 is 220F to 250F. It reaches the high end of the range on hot summer days (90+ degrees). The highest oil temperature I ever saw was 260F on a day when the ambient outdoor temperature was 105 degrees.

ChrisF

My old 997.2 GT3 was consistent at 225F-230F max at most CA tracks, even in summer and I was not babying it. GT2 ran even cooler but lower redline.

powdrhound

I can't imagine you would see 260F on oil on a GT3 Mezger. I would have question the accuracy of the OEM oil sensor especially in light of the fact that you have normal coolant temps which would indicate your radiators are doing their job effectively.

Tom@TPC Racing

For track use on hot Summer days my experience is oil temp shouldn't exceed 245-250F on a 997 GT3. If above 250F, clean or replace the radiators. Oil cooler transfers heat to the coolant system on these cars, that's how oil gets cooled. Water pump and belt are also wearable item that affects oil temp.
The factory coolant temp needle gauge lies! If you have actual data from CAN you'll see the actual coolant temp and how different it is from the needle. The factory oil temp needle gauge is pretty accurate. Which is why I pay more attention to the oil temp needle gauge when I drive a 997 on track. Driving on racing slicks vs street tires can increase oil temp because can stay on throttle longer per lap. 997.2 GT3 can potentially run a couple of degrees cooler than 997.1 GT3 due to larger radiator inlet opening size on the front bumper and slightly better exit ducting, but a few degrees is relatively insignificant in the scheme of things. Having clean radiators have more significant impact.

997 are older cars now...can have lots of small road debris, cut grass, cig butt fragment trapped between the radiator fins, and closed fins. Even the internal flow paths inside the radiators clog up over the years. All of the above reduces cooling system efficiency which can add up to 10+ degrees. The harder the car/engine is run on track the more it relies on the cooling system to be at peak efficiency. Water pump is responsible for circulating the coolant to be cooled be the radiators, coolant flow circulation rate is measured by gallons/liters per hour. This flow rate can decrease over the time as the water pump internal blades and bearing wear long before the water pump starts leaking. Belt drives the water pump, when belt slips the water pump speed is reduced.

On Cup cars which uses the same parts its common practice to replace these parts every 2-3 years since race are mostly driven pedal to the metal. For street use probably only needs 60% efficiency from the cooling system to suffice.

drola

I need to clarify something where I made a mistake.
I was looking more closely at the oil temp gauge and realized the mark reads 250 deg and not 260 deg as I originally thought.
So in reality my on track temps are right below the 250 mark on a pretty hot south florida day.
Still, it alarmed me as it sits towards the upper range of the guage. I don't think it ever actually hit the 250 mark but got close. But that needle still points further north than normal and it caught my attention.
That being said, next time I go to the track I will be sure to set up my smartycam to show me oil temp from the obd2
So with this new insight, is this something I need to worry about? Or just drive the snot out of it like normal.

Hella-Buggin'

Hey Drola, pay attention to your coolant temps too. Not sure about the gt3 but in my C2s the coolant gauge is kind of a dummy gauge. It will always read 175 until things get really hot. If you think about it, the thermostat doesn't even open until either 185 or 205 depending on what thermostat you have.

JB911

South FL temps can bring the oil close to 250 if you get caught in traffic after a spirited drive, even at night-not often, but it happens-
But then I get on the highway in a mellower mode, hit 65-70 mph or so and you can see the oil temp go down towards 220 or so in a few minutes.

When I had the transmission disc valve actuation malfunction, coolant and oil took almost 20 minutes to come to normal temp, it was crazy. The defective vacuum change-over valve that operates the disc valve at the transmission heat exchange kept it stuck open, so with a cold start and the disc valve open, it caused the bizarre condition.
I have a complete thread on it, but more related to your post, is there an aftermarket extra oil cooler offered for these cars? My friend has a 930 and as I recall with an aftermarket oil cooler, maybe even two extra ones, almost 14 quarts of oil

JB

Spyerx

Op ensure your condensers and radiators are clean and clear.

My normal track temps were 240-50 range. I saw 260+ only a few times and this was when it was 100+ ambient. I also saw the water gauge walk off center that day.

The oil type won’t matter much on temps just keep it fresh and Porsche spec.

drola

I confirmed radiators are clean.
Oil is fresh.
Gotta get back to the track and keep a closer eye on it. Was thinking of possibly doing road atlanta this saturday since I'll be in the area with the GT3 but I think it's going to be raining. Not that that would stop me, but temps will not get as high.

drola

I did a track day at Road Atlanta this past Saturday.
Happy to report that oil temps never got higher than about 225 deg. This was on a clear day with high's in the mid 60's.
I guess the South Florida heat just makes tempos go higher. But at least I am more at ease about the temps and knowing everything is functioning as it should.

Spyerx

BTW, if you haven't already, get some aluminum mesh (or even some rain gutter cover material which is what I used) and put that mesh on the fender liner inside each front wheel well (the air exit for the radiators into the wheel well). Its not uncommon for sticky track tires to pickup a rock and throw it at your radiators from the back and ruin your day....it will also keep the backsides of your 2 side radiators clean.

Drola964

I also used the gutter screens on the bumper. But your suggestion to also use it on the back makes total sense. I'll do that soon.

Kitc2246

IMO you have nothing to worry about with 250 oil temps. I track a 2013 981 and occasionally see 270. PDKs run hotter than manuals. You might read the threads on the GT4 oil temps. 280 is common. Mobil 1 advertises temps up to 500. The oil heat exchanger is the limiting factor, not the radiators. 981s and 987s that are tracked often upgrade to the GT3 heat exchanger. A larger or additional PDK cooler is also available.