Oil temp question

[saintcm]

Hello,

I'm wondering the oil temperature of my car borders towards normal or toward strange.

When I start from cold, I find that it takes a long (to me) time for the oil to go to the 176F level as per Porsche manual ie it does not really heat up in town and I have to be on the motorway for at least 15 mn to reach that level.
When I stop the car and restart 10 minutes later, the temp is down and takes again some time to go back to 176F.

Checking the history of the car, I can find an invoice for a new heat exchanger fitted last year.
I also have looked at the oil return tubes. One has a very small kink and the other ones look fine.

Should I be worried or is it normal??

Thanks.

[Barry]

There is an oil thermostat on top of the engine that you could test (I'm sure someone here can advise the best way to do this).

I shouldn't worry too much though: don't forget that your 911 has around two gallons of oil to heat up, held in an external tank: this is taking heat back out of the oil all of the time, hence the drop in temperature.

I think most 911 owners reckon on a good ten miles plus before considering the engine to be reasonably warm, and town driving during cold weather will take even longer. When you think about it, around idle you're not burning much fuel, therefore not creating that much heat to get rid of.

Your new heat exchanger refers to what would usually be called an exhaust manifold in 'normal' cars. The 'exchanger' bit is because around the actual tubular manifold is a sheet steel casing. Some of the engine cooling air is diverted through this casing around left and right exchangers, and it is this warm air that you are controlling with the red lever by the handbrake.

You have got an oil cooler, which is perhaps what you may have thought had been renewed: this is bolted direct to the engine on your car, and is not visible without getting right under the car.

The oil return tubes are just that: they are only under very slight crankcase pressure, so if they are not leaking, not so dented as to stop oil returning to the 'sump', and not so corroded as to look as though they might fail, leave alone. Out of interest, if you had one fail (or be damaged) you can buy collapsible replacements, that save having to drop the engine and remove the cylinder heads.

Hope this helps, glad to hear you are getting some miles in with the car .

[saintcm]

Thanks a lot for the answer and for the time you took to explain it thoroughly.

Yeah, I do some miles. No sense having a car and letting it stand still. These cars are begging to be used.

[Barry]

Too right: drive and enjoy .