Volvo Turbo Oil Cooler

[mardak at cogeco.ca (Mark)]

Bryan Rankin wrote:

> 
> How hot should a 1.7 litre be running?  I've been hitting temps of 
> almost 110C on somedays, but around 90 to 100 on others.   My oil is 
> 10w-30 and the temperature has been in the high 20's on those days...
> 
> Am I gonna need an oil cooler now?


If you're running a close ratio tranny an oil cooler comes in handy, 
since high revs contribute to engine/oil heat more than load.  I proved 
this with my tow vehicle - with the 4K tranny I could almost use the oil 
temp gauge as a speedometer on the freeway.  While towing it would run 
close to 120c at 65 mph, inching up as I went faster.  With the FF 
tranny, pulling the same load at the same speeds (and greater) I never 
saw the gauge go above 110, and this was in the summer compared to the 
other trip which was in the middle of winter.

I don't believe an oil cooler is necessary unless you see high rpm 
(3500+) for extended periods on a regular basis, or if you use the car 
for track days.

You might want to consider running a thicker oil though, at least in the 
warmer months, as 10w-30 is too thin for these engines.  Try 15w-50 
Mobil One, or 20w-50 dino oil.

HTH,

Mark.
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