North Liberty and South Bend, Indiana | Question
"...at what point (temperature) does it start to break down and not protect the engines parts from damage?"
Answer
"Conventional oils will tolerate engine oil sump temperatures of up to 250 to as much as 275 degrees F without difficulty. According to Quaker State engineer Mark Farner, oils like Quaker State's full synthetics can easily withstand sump temperatures in excess of 300 degrees F, and he says that some oval track race teams are experimenting with temperatures as high as 350 degrees F. For a typical wet-sump engine, 300 degrees F is still extremely hot, but Farner says that synthetics, because of their molecular makeup, are better suited to withstand these temperatures. The downside is that additive packages do tend to break down faster in high-temperature environments, so if you plan on running oil temperatures in excess of 300 degrees, this would mean changing the oil after every track event regardless of the mileage. |
Oil temperature ISX.
