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Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:55 pm

What should my oil temp on my 66 bus read at normal operating speed and warmed up.

Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:39 am

between about 180 -230 depending on outside temp and cruising speed. if you can keep it down to 200 or under things are going well. Be warned many oil temp guages are not accurate and it make a differance where to place the sender. if you have another of the same guage or can borrow one from a friend try both and see if you get the same results. :D

Wed Jul 14, 2004 7:08 am

I don't like it to get above 210. Then again, I'm willing to slow down to 55 to let the engine run cooler on those hot days.

Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:23 am

What is a hot day in the NW?

Last Sunday, here in AZ, I drove my 66 with a 1600 dp on a 4 hr trip from Tempe to Yuma. It normally wouldn't take that long but it was 110 outside and I had to stay around 50 mph to keep her running 220-230. I don't feel bad about running her to 230 but past that, I start to worry a little. To me, that's when it's running hot.

Oil temps are very much affected by outside air temps and engine speed. This morning on the way to work, it was only 80 at 7am and I was able to drive 60 the whole way and it didn't get above 220. My commute is about 20 miles each way. When I go to Cali, my temps are perfect because of the humidity and the cooler temps.

There are many other things that affect oil temps, # 1 being under carbureted/ running too lean.

Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:07 pm

truckersmike wrote: What is a hot day in the NW?

Oil temps are very much affected by outside air temps and engine speed.
I feel above 90F is hot for the bus.. which does happen in the summer here. Monday I drove back from Boise in the '61, it was hot and dry... near 100 most of the way. It was only 70F when I got to Oly... at 12:20 am!!!! ~55 is the best cooling speed in that bus, and that kept the oil temps to 210. Ya... humidity affects cooling too.. dryer air doesn't cool as well... I once strapped a bag of ice wrapped in a towel in the alternate battery tray and it seemed to help a bit. I was in AZ with a loaded bus and going up the hill from Needles the oil temps got to 230 and I was freaking out.

Wed Jul 14, 2004 3:43 pm

I cruised my bus from Slam Gabriel a few weeks ago doing about 75mph most of the time and the hottest it got was around 220..Man it was hot once I got over that damn grapevine...I have two coolers on my bus and the sensor is between them...so I guess it's actually alittle cooler..My motor and tranny is not stock...

Wed Jul 14, 2004 7:22 pm

I am finding that in most cases, those who say they can run 70+ on the freeway in 100+ degree weather and still have oil temps that are 200 or lower are either liars, don't drive a bus or have an external oil cooler. I may end up doing the latter.

Wed Oct 06, 2004 2:47 pm

I just bought a 57 panel after a three hiatus from aircooled. I drove the bus maybe 4 miles, didnt really watch the temps. After my stop with took maybe 30 min. I started home driving on city streets 4 miles. It has a temp gauge, the sender is where the pressure switch should be. The temps went up to 240. Ive never driven a bus with a gauge before. I had a 67 with a single port and the only problem i had was vapor lock from a clogged fuel filter. It just seams the bus is runnin hot, it was maybe 100 outside. it is a small nut tranny so it really goes slower than the 67 i had.

Should i move the temprature sender, and put the pressure switch back? or just leave it where it is? I think it is a 1600 with a doghouse cooler, it is not sealed, tin to body seal is missing.

Wed Oct 06, 2004 3:22 pm

truckersmike wrote: I am finding that in most cases, those who say they can run 70+ on the freeway in 100+ degree weather and still have oil temps that are 200 or lower are either liars, don't drive a bus or have an external oil cooler. I may end up doing the latter.
kyle and I put a type 4 cooler in my old westy 1600 sp and it helped alot.
before that I could not pull the dipstick to check the oil without getting
burned LOL.
I went from a stock single port cooling system to a doghouse
with a type 4 cooler and it worked well on a fully loaded camper.

Wed Oct 06, 2004 3:36 pm

ok noob question time you knew it was coming.... where is the best place to put the sensor for the oil temp, and where do you take the oil out and put it back in when using an external cooler? I am running a 1600 dp with and over sized sump (2.5 qts). I live in florida and have been driving h2o pumpers for about the past 6 yrs or so... very worried about burning up a motor... thanks

Wed Oct 06, 2004 4:51 pm

Chris72 wrote: where is the best place to put the sensor for the oil temp

I run mine either on the sump or if using VDO gauges... they make a sender that takes the place of the oil pressure relief valve's plug. You could also put it before your external oil cooler.

Personally, I like to see what the temp is before it's hitting the cooler. As the temp will be lower before the oil hitts the bearings.

Wed Oct 06, 2004 5:09 pm

Left Havasu in 105 heat, drove 70+ mph the whole way (documented by my wife following me in her car). Drove close to 350 miles stopping twice (for gas),then the temps got down to the 80's, climbed a few hills, cruised down a few more. Got to where I was going checked the oil, none used. 3 days later proceeded to do the return trip, same speeds, used about a cup of oil, oil temps, well the light never came on. This engine now has over 45,000 miles on it, driven hard with the bus fully loaded, always. The next weekend drove another 400 miles RT in 100 plus heat, no oil used and this weekend will do another 800 miles rt, fully loaded. When I get back I will change the filter and add enough new oil to bring it to full. Oh ya and 2 weeks before that drove 500 miles rt, all this done on the same oil MOBIL 1 15/50, watch I'll blow it up this weekend :roll:

I always wondered why a Harley can run with 260 oil temps all day long, last 10's of 1000's of miles yet ever one panicks if a VW hits 210 degrees.

I drove my 1776 in my bus the same way, finally broke with over 60,000 miles on it. When I tore it down the P/L were still usable, heads were fine, the problem was I installed a new Brazilian piece of crap SACHS pp and didn't bother to check it out good till it was to late, the centering pins are off . In 3000 miles I blew the thrust bearing out, wollowing the rear main carrier in the case, case junk, crank and bearings OK.

Oil temps, myth or reality, how many old 40 hp's do you still see running with there internal oil cooler, pushing to get up hills, pedal always to the metal, oil boiling and yet they still last 10's of 1000's of miles, hummmm

The burn point of todays oil are well into the 400 degree range, where they start breaking down and hell we all change our oil every 2 to 3 thousand miles RIGHT

Wed Oct 06, 2004 5:15 pm

Chris72 wrote: where do you take the oil out and put it back in when using an external cooler?

Oil comes out from the oil pump cover and back into the case at a main oil galley. You can see the brass fitting on the pump cover (OUT) and the fitting directly to the left of the pulley (IN).

Wed Oct 06, 2004 5:39 pm

splitpile wrote: Left Havasu in 105 heat, drove 70+ mph the whole way (documented by my wife following me in her car). Drove close to 350 miles stopping twice (for gas),then the temps got down to the 80's, climbed a few hills, cruised down a few more. Got to where I was going checked the oil, none used. 3 days later proceeded to do the return trip, same speeds, used about a cup of oil, oil temps, well the light never came on. This engine now has over 45,000 miles on it, driven hard with the bus fully loaded, always. The next weekend drove another 400 miles RT in 100 plus heat, no oil used and this weekend will do another 800 miles rt, fully loaded. When I get back I will change the filter and add enough new oil to bring it to full. Oh ya and 2 weeks before that drove 500 miles rt, all this done on the same oil MOBIL 1 15/50, watch I'll blow it up this weekend :roll:

I always wondered why a Harley can run with 260 oil temps all day long, last 10's of 1000's of miles yet ever one panicks if a VW hits 210 degrees.

I drove my 1776 in my bus the same way, finally broke with over 60,000 miles on it. When I tore it down the P/L were still usable, heads were fine, the problem was I installed a new Brazilian piece of crap SACHS pp and didn't bother to check it out good till it was to late, the centering pins are off . In 3000 miles I blew the thrust bearing out, wollowing the rear main carrier in the case, case junk, crank and bearings OK.

Oil temps, myth or reality, how many old 40 hp's do you still see running with there internal oil cooler, pushing to get up hills, pedal always to the metal, oil boiling and yet they still last 10's of 1000's of miles, hummmm

The burn point of todays oil are well into the 400 degree range, where they start breaking down and hell we all change our oil every 2 to 3 thousand miles RIGHT

Cool sinopsis Ronnie.

I've always been a "hard" driver. You develop a 5th sense on how your motor is doing after a while. Once you put a forkin gauge on, that's when you start "freaking" out about the temp issues. I do run all the gauges that can be had except for a tach since I just don't want to see how much into the red line I KNOW I run my engine at. According to MY gauge, when loaded and going up a steep hill, it "boils" it at around 250. Been like that for over 3 years and about 20k miles. I do monitor my head temp very closely though. That one, so long as it doesn't go over 350 during extreme climbing, keeps my worries to a minimum over the oil temp. 8)