"Normal" Oil Temps during hard driving? - LT1
 

Hi Guys,

I took my 2021 LT1 A10 up into the SoCal canyons around Malibu for a 'spirited' drive.
The car absolutely rips and has more traction than I thought would be possible with the 245 tires and massive power and torque. Great balance and dampening for stock suspension.

I know that compared to the SS the model lacks additional cooling, so I'm wondering what oil temps do you guys typically see in a "canyon run" environment - mostly 3rd and 4th gear occasionally down to 2nd. Higher RPMs and heavier throttle but by no means like if I were on a road course.

Without much effort temps were in the 240-250 range. Normal temps I find are 190-200.
Car was never in limp mode, but is there an issue running the car this hot?
I'm used to my 2008 M3 which runs around 210 and tops out around 230 but that car has a smaller engine, heavier oil and more cooling.

My 2SS never gotten that hot, even when I was pounding on her. I have long tubes and full exhaust without cats.

We see too far.

What were the ambient outdoor temps?

A 455 hp V8 generates a lot of heat and having the extra coolers that the SS has (two aux engine coolers, differential cooler, transmission cooler) really makes a big difference.

I never hit that high in my spirited driving on twisty roads near me in my LT1. My highest during the spirited drives have been in the 210-220 range and I hit 220 only once and it was already near 100 degrees outside.

Ambient temps were low-mid 70s.
Not that hot but a lot of the driving was uphill so that may have played a factor.
Love this platform but I can see if I was going to be regularly tracking, a SS would be a better choice for the cooling alone.

Did you check your coolant? Maybe it’s low especially in the overflow lower part of the reservoir.

240 to 250 F is definitely a bit too high for any driving you can pull off on public roads, I would say. I suspect my 2SS 1LE wouldn't even hit this temperature on the track.Excellent point, even if it's unrelated to the oil temp. A lot of Camaro's comes from the factory underfilled, and there is also a bit of evaporation going on in the overflow tank all the time.

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Also try removing the water deflector on the back side of the hood heat extractor, that will open you up for more cooling as well, just put it back on if you drive in the rain or wash the car...

LT1's do have the oil cooler and if it's an A10 the transmission cooler as well.

190°-210° is what I see in my LT1 with spirited driving or back to back runs at that track. No elevation changes in my area though. 240+ like you are claiming is higher than I would want my LT1 to operate. Maybe you should consider a lower thermostat and lower the temperature at which the cooling fans turn on at, also id invest in cooling mods if uphill canyon carving is gonna be a regular thing...

How warm was it when you did the drive? Whether it's coolant or oil, it'll run hotter than normal in the summer. I know in terms of coolant, even my 2007 Cobalt will run over 200° if it's at least 80-90 degrees outside (and the same deal with my dad's C6 so I assume my Camaro would run the same). I'm assuming oil should be running cooler than coolant since you don't want it to thin out and not lubricate. Anyways, before I start spewing off other crap, my point is that if it's hot enough outside, you're gonna have higher than normal temps (even with all the extra cooling). As long as there isn't any smoke coming out of your front end, you'll be fine.

Will Check if coolant level is low. Car is charging up hill for 3-5 minutes of sustained higher RPM stuff. ambient temps were only in the 70s. Car had no issues but 240+ seems high. Seems like most of you guys are driving in flatter areas so maybe the climbing is the factor pushing up temps.

I hit mountains occasionally, here at the bottom of the Appalachian, and I checked my temps one time I was pushing it pretty hard uphill the whole time, the one time I have felt like I was pushing the engine for a sustained length of time at high RPMs (for once my girl wasn’t with me headed up the mtn in Sewanne, TN) so I was hitting it pretty hard for what I would say was 2:30 of uphill mountain carving. I think the highest I saw towards the end of the run was 220-230. I would suspect if you were pushing hard for 2+ minutes on a summer day these temps are likely. As all others have suggested, that kind of driving is more SS or more 1LE. Our LT1s are just drag cars from the factory. With improper tires. That being said if you are careful and aren’t WOTing the whole run… you can keep temps safe. Also the statement about getting to those temps on public roads couldn’t be better.. lol.

Thats odd.Mine hasn’t gone over 190 but I’m also still under 1k in break in. And haven’t driven it in anger, or really spirited for that matter.