Slippery Business
Have you ever considered how hot oil gets inside your engine, transmission, differential, or power steering? In normal operation, engine oil temperature needs to be at least 212 degrees F to get rid of destructive moisture and combustion contaminants. Both contaminate the oil if they don’t burn off with enough oil temperature. If engine oil temperature doesn’t get hot enough, moisture in the oil will mix with sulfur, which is one combustion byproduct, and generate acids that can ultimately damage moving parts.
By the same token, excessive engine oil temperatures do another kind of damage. Conventional engine oils can tolerate temperatures of up to 250 degrees F. After that, they begin to cook and ultimately break down at 275 degrees F. Synthetic engine oils are far more tolerant of temperature extremes well above 300 degrees F. They can take the punishment of the high engine temperatures encountered in motorsports. Ideally, we will hold engine oil temperatures between 230 and 260 degrees F.
