Oil temperature - where to measure?
Discussion
I'm adding a Modine oil cooler to my Duratec and have also bought a dual SPA gauge for water and oil temperature. I was just wondering where the best place to measure oil temperature would be? The easy option would be the dry sump tank as the fitting is there already, but felt in may be more meaningful if it was after the Modine where the oil pressure sensor is. Anyone go any thoughts or experience of doing this?
David.
I'd mount it downstream of your cooler - then you know the temp of the oil going into the engine - if everything else is in good shape that's all you need - a luxury would be to measure across the cooler to see the temp out of the engine & the effectiveness of the cooler but in one place,outlet cooler ;-)
DaveK-S1 said:
The cooler should be mounted in the return line to your dry dump tank.
I would read the oil temp from either the dry sump tank ( you already have the fitting) or the sump pan ( wet sump) as this is the main volume of oil in the engine bay , so you can see when its up to temp fully
Yes, I was beginning to come to that conclusion (the tank where the bulk of the oil is probably best). It may not show the actual temperature of oil flowing through the engine but it will show the worst case temperature as it exits the engine. I would read the oil temp from either the dry sump tank ( you already have the fitting) or the sump pan ( wet sump) as this is the main volume of oil in the engine bay , so you can see when its up to temp fully
The Ford Modine cooler for the Duratec is immediately prior to the oil filter. Does anyone know the torque for the bolt that holds it in place?
DCL said:
DaveK-S1 said:
The cooler should be mounted in the return line to your dry dump tank.
I would read the oil temp from either the dry sump tank ( you already have the fitting) or the sump pan ( wet sump) as this is the main volume of oil in the engine bay , so you can see when its up to temp fully
Yes, I was beginning to come to that conclusion (the tank where the bulk of the oil is probably best). It may not show the actual temperature of oil flowing through the engine but it will show the worst case temperature as it exits the engine. I would read the oil temp from either the dry sump tank ( you already have the fitting) or the sump pan ( wet sump) as this is the main volume of oil in the engine bay , so you can see when its up to temp fully
The Ford Modine cooler for the Duratec is immediately prior to the oil filter. Does anyone know the torque for the bolt that holds it in place?
I'd still recommend measuring the temp on the inlet to the engine - then you will know that the oil is in its correct operating window before it heads into do its job... Measuring the sump would be okay a solution if there was no cooler fitted... but ideal is inlet oil temp.
I suggest contacting Caterham for the torque value, as they supply the Modine with some of their engines, so they should know. Or, contact Cosworth as an alternate, for the same reason.
Oil tank seems as good a place as any for the oil temperature sender. Right after it leaves the bottom of the tank, where the boss for the sender is located, the oil goes into the engine. But because the Modine is a oil/coolant heat exchanger, your oil temperature should be pretty close to whatever your coolant temperature is at any given point in time.
-Sean
Oil tank seems as good a place as any for the oil temperature sender. Right after it leaves the bottom of the tank, where the boss for the sender is located, the oil goes into the engine. But because the Modine is a oil/coolant heat exchanger, your oil temperature should be pretty close to whatever your coolant temperature is at any given point in time.
-Sean
Thanks guys, I'll contact Caterham for the torque setting. Just for info this is what it looks like:
The oil enters via the block directly from the pump so there's no connecting as such - just the coolant hoses which are in the heater or bypass circuit.
The oil enters via the block directly from the pump so there's no connecting as such - just the coolant hoses which are in the heater or bypass circuit.
Edited by DCL on Friday 13th January 13:19
I got it all put together today and it seemed to work OK. I removed the original radiator cooler and the oil temp seems to sit a few degrees below water temperature which I guess is due to cooling by the sump/hoses/tank but it is about 20 degrees higher than before. I'm sure it'll be a few degrees higher than water temperature on the track, but if it stable and keeps under 110C, I'll be happy 
.
.Edited by DCL on Sunday 15th January 22:18
DCL,
Torque the single large M12 x 62.5 bolt going through the Modine donut to 37Nm.
Torque the four bolts fastening the oil filter housing to the block to 25Nm.
Source for these torque values is Cosworth, so should be close enough.
Too late now I suppose, but if you ever disassemble, this post might be of use to you, and it still may benefit others.
Cheers!
Torque the single large M12 x 62.5 bolt going through the Modine donut to 37Nm.
Torque the four bolts fastening the oil filter housing to the block to 25Nm.
Source for these torque values is Cosworth, so should be close enough.
Too late now I suppose, but if you ever disassemble, this post might be of use to you, and it still may benefit others.
Cheers!
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