New Guy With An Oil Problem

[BeastsNMonsters]

@Rusty67

As I've always understood it, sludge is formed in oil when moisture from the air gets mixed with the oil. This happens most readily when the oil is cold. As fresh air enters the crankcase from outside, it brings water vapor with it. If all is nice and hot, the water simply stays suspended in the air, and winds up getting burned with the crankcase draft air.

So, yes, cold oil is bad news. imp

Long term yes, but in high demand applications such as towing or racing, the cooling effect of the oil is needed. That's why you find oil coolers on race cars and tow trucks. The cooling system can only handle so much in either extended idle or WOT. In circuit races, the ambient air temperature on the track is higher than normal operating conditions, and the engines are built such that they create high amounts of heat. the oil coolers become necessary in those applications. For street use, I don't see a need in a Stang. Remote mount oil filter may be useful, but not an oil cooler.

 

[imp]

Long term yes, but in high demand applications such as towing or racing, the cooling effect of the oil is needed. That's why you find oil coolers on race cars and tow trucks. The cooling system can only handle so much in either extended idle or WOT. In circuit races, the ambient air temperature on the track is higher than normal operating conditions, and the engines are built such that they create high amounts of heat. the oil coolers become necessary in those applications. For street use, I don't see a need in a Stang. Remote mount oil filter may be useful, but not an oil cooler.

@BeastsNMonsters

Good information! I speak in generalities, being from the old group who saw 292 Y-blocks, early small blocks (221, 260, even early 289s), load up with sludge. Operation characteristics are obviously contributory. I saw gas engines on dynamometer test stands pushing oil temps higher than we encountered in the big diesels. Hard to duplicate on the street. imp

 

[Rusty67]

Oil coolers on street Mustangs can be very beneficial even on a daily driver. In stop and go traffic conditions during the summer in areas like Los Angeles or even hotter places like AZ, the engine oil can bake hard from high temp. It all depends on where and how you drive your car.

 

[imp]

Oil coolers on street Mustangs can be very beneficial even on a daily driver. In stop and go traffic conditions during the summer in areas like Los Angeles or even hotter places like AZ, the engine oil can bake hard from high temp. It all depends on where and how you drive your car.

@Rusty67
I've always heard too high oil temps. produced "varnish" deposits, too low sludge. So, Agreed & Understood! imp

 

[Real time recon]

If you have varnish........... its ...........game over

 

[imp]

If you have varnish........... its ...........game over

What, you've never disassembled a high-mileage engine and seen brownish-shiny stains on con rods, etc.? imp

 

[Real time recon]

Nolol

 

[imp]

Nolol

"You ain't been around",..................said Bachman Turner Overdrive. imp