Matt Romanowski

I'm not sure how quick the oil loses temp has much to do with the system working as much as where the temp is monitored. If you measure it in the sump (tank), it will not change as quickly. Measuring right out of the motor is very load dependant. Across coolers has a pretty normal temp and can be variable as what they show and when.

docwyte

280F is nothing, you're fine. Change the oil if you like but I wouldn't worry about the temps. Even with an oil cooler I'd routinely see that in my track cars here in Denver, bad combination of high heat and high altitude don't help cooling! Never had an engine issue due to the oil temps. Just run a good synthetic and call it a day. If you don't have the center/3rd radiator I'd add it and if you're really concerned you can also add an oil cooler...

mgordon18

Putting in Castrol 5W-50 today. I don't have a center radiator at this point - thinking about it, but doubt I'll get one in the near future unless the situation gets worse.

Quadcammer

280 is a problem. you will absolutely want to consider a third radiator. 0w40 is not good for shear at all.

Id consider running xp6 if you track a lot. or a motul product.

If u insist on m1 ow40, then change every other event

Charles Navarro

270-280F is common on the anything M96 and later. Not that it is good, but just that it is common. The optimal temperature for power and protection, given you are running the correct viscosity, is 225F, which can be hit with larger radiators, low temperature thermostat (on models up to the 987.2 and 997.2), larger oil to water heat exchanger, and adding oil volume.

On models where the power steering cooling is looped in the engine oil cooler and adding extra heat to the coolant, we made a bypass and use a different engine oil cooler that doesn't have a power steering cooling circuit then add an air to oil cooler up front for the power steering.

The fastest way to get the oil temps down is to fit one of our 2.5 quart deep sumps. On our test 987.2 4.2 liter Cayman, adding the deep sump lowered temps by 40F on an 85F day. I have had other customers with smaller stock engines see a 30F drop in oil temperatures on track, putting the cars into the 235-245F range on a hot day.

Charles Navarro

The oil pump is pulse width modulated, so it has variable demand output. I've never seen any 987.2/997.2 or later engine have low oil pressure, even with temps over 300F. I have seen Clubsports running over 300F on M1 with the oil coming out with copper from the bearings from the oil just not providing the required protection. Several events later that engine ventilated it's crankcase at the track. That's just too hot and the factory fill 0w40 M1 isn't up to the challenge.

Race oil with changes after each event so you go to the next on fresh race oil is a must.

If you drive the car on the street, put a street oil in it between events. Oil is cheap, engines are expensive.

Frank 993 C4S

^^^ This

erko1905

I tracked a 991.1 4S for the last two seasons. I'd guess we probably go to the same tracks, and drive at similar ambient temps given our shared location. I've never once seen a 280 oil temp on this car. It didn't have the extra center radiator either. From what I can remember, my car used to run around 200 on the street and 220-240 at the track.

280 seems wild. You might want to get that cooling checked up, just in case.

Charles Navarro

Manual or pdk?

erko1905

Manual, maybe runs cooler than PDK?

Charles Navarro

Yup. All my experience is with PDK cars. They dump extra heat into the coolant, but on the positive side, we know that if you add the center radiator and use the larger CSF outers, you can shed alot more BTUs and help cool everything off.

mgordon18

Mine's PDK.

I changed the oil to Castrol 5W50 tonight. We'll see how it fares. I'll switch back to 0W40 for Winter.

Steve113

Don't think that is solving the temp issue. Might help on the protection side but a thicker oil retains more heat

mgordon18

Well, if the temp is going to get that high, I might as well have adequate protection when it does.

kisik

There is also a great correlation between oil temperature and RPMs. Upshift as you can. Don't stay at 7k at 4th gear on main straights. Make a big difference and cost you nothing. That is a good start and then use Charles' recommendations. Also it is important to bring temperatures slowly and cool off gradually.