R500D Do they have a oil thermostat ?

[marcos59]

On my duratec conversion oil temp never go more than 90° without oil cooler on road or track.

I need to change my radiator so was looking for a R500D one wih the nuild in oil cooler

But I'm worry about my oil temp. It could have difficulty to reach 60°c during winter..

So my question is: R500D have an oil thermostat ?

Thanks for your help 😶‍🌫️

[7 wonders of the world]

For aftermarket purposes you can either fit a conventional oil to air cooler with a thermostatic sandwich plate or use the Ford OE Modine version which is an oil to water version, which again fits behind the oil filter.

 

 

 

Too young to be old !

[nigelpugh]

My R500D does not have one, and I don't think Caterham fit them to any cars.

 

Mine has the Oil Cooler in the radiator, and the large vertical Oil Tank, which is where the Oil Temp sender is pickup up the temp from.

 

On track days my oil temp regularly goes over 100 degrees, and so does the water, but Caterham tell me that the Duratec Engine in my car likes to run hot.

 

I should mention of course that my car has the dry sump fitted as standard.

 

Surprised your oil temp stays so low, where is the sender getting the temp from? Have yot tried another sender?

 

Nigel

 

Nigel Pugh - Area Representative - WAGS - Worcestershire Area Group Sevens

 

R500 CP - New 2008 Duratec R500

[marcos59]

Nigel,

Max temp oil recorder on my 260ch (aftermarket) dry sumped Duratec is 87°

Sender is located in oil filter housing (so just before oil go back in oil tank).

I have a bigger oil tank than the R500D one.

I have told that bigger it is better it is as it help to reduce temp (larger alloy contact) but anyway sender is located just before tank so it do not modify our comparaison.

Sender accurency have been tested and is OK.

This why I think a laminova could be better than an oil raditor on my car as it will help to reach faster 60° and will help too to keep it at same temperature as water temp when hot.

What type of water temp do you have on track day ?

Nicolas

[Mick Day]

Oil stats can be sourced from Think Auto: here. Remember to ask for club discount.

[FunkySon]

On track days my oil temp regularly goes over 100 degrees, and so does the water, but Caterham tell me that the Duratec Engine in my car likes to run hot.

 

Nigel,

 

I was told the same by CC but that was in response to me questioning the temperature when sitting in traffic.

 

On track I'm in the 70-75 range for oil and 85-90 for water. Much more like marcos59 is seeing. Yours seem too high to me.

 

Duncan

[MikeE]

the question ofDuratec oil temperatures has come up at regular intervals in the 6 years since I built my Duratec R400. As Nicolas says the previous Duratec owners have reported difficulty in getting the oil up to temperature, in the winter on the road it can be difficult to get it up to 60c and on track I've never had either my 226bhp 2.0l Raceline Duratec or 280bhp 2.3l Raceco Duratec (both dry sumped) register over 95c so Caterhams statement that the Duratec likes to run hot seems at odds with the majorities experiences.

 

Nicolas, I'd suggest you give Peter at Raceline a call to discuss your requirements

 

Duratec R538 Build and Modification Pictures

here

[marcos59]

Thanks for your comments.

 

So question is why put a oil radiator on R500D ?

 

A Laminova will be a better oil heater/cooling management tool isn't it ?

 

If some of you have experience/pictures of Laminova fitted to Caterham engine bay I'm VERY interested !!

[The Pikey]

marcos59

 

heres a Lam in a bike powered 7 I did a couple of years ago. I welded a bracket to the removeable diagonal (which I speced when ordering) Worked perfectly and I have just ordered another chassis with the same removeable diagonal so I can do the same on a Duratec car.

 

here

 

here

 

cheers

Jason

 

 

 

Edited by - Jason Fletcher on 21 Jul 2010 19:38:08

[marcos59]

Many thanks for you picture Jason.

 

As far I know you choose your laminova accordingly with your engine capacity.

 

Is this the smaller one ?! (as your car was BEC)

 

Not so easy to fit in a duratec DS engine bay.....

[The Pikey]

It's actually a very big Laminova as the BEC was a 200bhp one I fitted the biggest one I could could get in there because as far as I am aware a Laminova thats way to big for the job will work perfectly because of the way they work they can't over cool the oil.

 

Fitting a Lam is dead easy because you can stick it anywhere .

 

Jason

 

 

Edited by - Jason Fletcher on 21 Jul 2010 20:18:03

[Pendennis]

I've read and heard that high oil temps will raise water and vice versa, but in my experience this has never been the case.

 

I race a 2L Duratec bit higher spec to the R500D, so it should generate a bit more heat. It is dry sumped with a two core Radtec water rad and 16 row Mocal oil cooler. The oil cooler has cool fresh air ducted in, the discharge exhausts in the same air stream as the water rad, which vents straight out of nose cone. Even racing in 33c ambient I never see water or oil above 95. In fact the oil cooler is slighty too big if I am honest.

 

Personally, I would do two options. Tape up an oil cooler in the winter or use thinner viscosity oil. Apparently, oil should not exceed 90c in an ideal world.

 

All this said, I cannot see any reason why a road going R500D needs an oil cooler, in fact I think it's debateable even for the odd trackday.

 

Want to rent an 18th century Farmhouse in Rural Somerset?

 

Edited by - Pendennis on 21 Jul 2010 21:19:24

[7 wonders of the world]

Personally, I would do two options. Tape up an oil cooler in the winter or use thinner viscosity oil. Apparently, oil should not exceed 90c in an ideal world.

---

 

I would certainly look to putting a stat in the circuit that way the oil temperature can be effectivley and accuratley maintained, I certainly would not be worried by 90 degrees, on track I'd xpec to be seeing 110 -120 degrees on the oil, this will always be higher than the water as it carries at least 60% of the initial heat from the engine.

 

Cosworth don't worry about oil temps unless they top 150 degrees naturally this depends on using a decent spec an quality of oil though.

 

As has been said before the Duratec in OE applications with the electric stat runs circa 100 degrees on the water temp.

 

Too young to be old !

[Pendennis]

150c maybe a figure the lubricant producers tell engine developers it starts to become dangerous, but if the truth is known, if your seeing 130c you need to make changes. At those temperatures the oil breaks down, burns and thins. Very regular changes would be required.

 

Higher temperatures means lower output

 

Temperature entering the engine are the figures I refer to.

 

Want to rent an 18th century Farmhouse in Rural Somerset?

 

Edited by - Pendennis on 21 Jul 2010 22:36:00

[Jason Plato]

all the above is pointless without stipulating if you are running dry or wet sump

 

the wetsump runs very high oil temps and needs an oil cooler on the track

 

 

 

 

here is my Duratec R .... C7 TOP

Taffia AO

[Pendennis]

Are not all R500D dry sumped Dave?

 

Want to rent an 18th century Farmhouse in Rural Somerset?