Oil Temp before getting on throttle?

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Dec 27, 2019
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I have gathered opinions on this in the past but it seems opinions are all over the map.

The question is at what oil temp would it be considered sufficient to safely add high load and or RPM?
 
Thats pretty generic question. "The answers are all over the map" because the question is overly general and not specific enough to answer well.

is this a 600hp twin turbo BMW or a 145hp crosstrek or what?
 
I stay under 3k RPM for the first 5 miles until the oil has reached 80°C/176°F and I don't go full throttle until a few minutes until the oil temperature has stabilized about 10 minutes later- if possible. You gotta do what you gotta do or you become a roadblock.

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Under 50% throttle and 50% redline until temp gauge hits "normal". In winter, no full throttle until I can feel good warm heat from the heater. In the Vette, I have an oil temp gauge...so wait until at least 180 degree oil temp.
 
Opinions will vary on this..
I live roughly a mile from the I-45 North Freeway , I have to hammer on it as soon as I'm merging... 70-80mph or you get run over.
My old Accord Wagon daily driver is a 2.2 4cyl with 250k miles on it , oil is never at at full operating temp .
I've had the car 10 yrs and have had it since it had 134K miles. No engine related issues . She gets what ever oil is on sale and now will be getting 15W-40 diesel oil .
Just my 2 cents.
 
I have gathered opinions on this in the past but it seems opinions are all over the map.

The question is at what oil temp would it be considered sufficient to safely add high load and or RPM?

I generally don't worry about oil temperature. Now coolant temperature is a whole different conversation. When I tow with my 2012 Ram Cummins 2500 I try to have my coolant temp above 160F before I will get on it towing my 11K TT. To me this shows the engine is warming up and I don't need to worry about the block and cylinder head expansion rates as much. Oil temp is just a byproduct of being pumped.

I would suggest drag racing cars and circle track race cars in general are examples of this... 🤷‍♂️ IMO if the oil light is out it's good to go!

just my $0.02
 
I have gathered opinions on this in the past but it seems opinions are all over the map.

The question is at what oil temp would it be considered sufficient to safely add high load and or RPM?

Basically what you are saying is, well cant say it, when the car gets up to operating temperature.

Years ago I went to the Dealership and my mechanic friend was in the garage and he had an engine apart, I said waz up with this, and he said some teenage kid started his Dad's car when the temp was in the single digits and took the engine to like 6000 rpms and screwed up the Pistons!
 
Basically what you are saying is, well cant say it, when the car gets up to operating temperature.

Years ago I went to the Dealership and my mechanic friend was in the garage and he had an engine apart, I said waz up with this, and he said some teenage kid started his Dad's car when the temp was in the single digits and took the engine to like 6000 rpms and screwed up the Pistons!
I’ve seen many two strokes messed up from this. Piston suddenly gets heated and expands while the cylinder is still cool.
 
I’ve seen many two strokes messed up from this. Piston suddenly gets heated and expands while the cylinder is still cool.
liquid cooled two stroke ski doo's were notorious for this we called it cold seize . numb nuts would start there machine hammer it down right away and within couple hundred feet dead in there tracks .
we always on cold start let the machine idle up to at least half way up the temp gauge before moving.
 
In my old E63S that would be over 15 miles in the winter.

Thats pretty generic question. "The answers are all over the map" because the question is overly general and not specific enough to answer well.

is this a 600hp twin turbo BMW or a 145hp crosstrek or what?
Really the question is at what temp is oil performing at it's best, regardless the vehicle.

What do you mean "getting on the throttle"? Theoretically, once oil pressure builds up, (2-3 seconds) you're good to accelerate.

I spelled it out in the OP.
 
I was thinking about this yesterday. I feel like it would be more of an issue in the winter time.

In the summer, after a few minutes, my oil temperature gauge starts going up.
 
I’ve seen many two strokes messed up from this. Piston suddenly gets heated and expands while the cylinder is still cool.

There is a guy somewhere I guess wherever that talks about small engines and two stroke equipment and at the end of the segment he has a Beer. Anyways, he talks about guys going out with either chainsaws or that 2 stroke thing that cuts concrete, well they start it up when it is really cold and rev it up and do not let it warm up and they have issues.

Now my Backpack Blower has something in the Owners manual not to use it below 15 degrees or so.
 
I have gathered opinions on this in the past but it seems opinions are all over the map.

The question is at what oil temp would it be considered sufficient to safely add high load and or RPM?
at a minimum the engine coolant temp should be at the full normal operating temp. That ensures that the metals in the engine have mostly heated and expanded to design clearances.

2ndly it depends on the grade of motor oil. A 0w-16 probably lubricates rather well above 40deg C / 104 deg F, its about a 45 cst viscocity there. a 5w-30 will not fall below that viscosity until its about 50 deg c / 120 deg F.

On a 90 degree day, it takes only until i'm at operating temp (2-3 minutes of light driving for my car's motor oil to be 125 deg F). I have yet to see what this takes on a colder winter day closer to freezing.
 
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