Date:         Fri, 19 Aug 94 13:10:35 PDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Johnson <sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com>
Subject:      Re: Re.:  Synthetic oils 

> cooled cars do not use oil coolers.  I read a book by Anderson on 911 
> performance
> modifications.  He describes the 911 as an air cooled engine that, as HP and 
> 
> emission controls increased, became more of an air/oil cooled engine.  From
> about '74 the Porsches had two oil coolers; one close to the engine and one 
> mounted in either the fender well or in the front of the car.  Flow to the 
> coolers is
> thermostatically controlled.  Allows flow thru the coolers at about 180 F. 
>  Porsche
> also added oil squirters aimed at the under side of the pistons to improve 
> piston
> cooling.
> 
> Anyway, I  reread Gene Bergs comment on Synthetic oil and his claim is that 
> the
> oil flow helps remove heat from the cyl. heads.  When he used synthetic oil 
> his
> measurements showed that the oil temp was lower and the head temp higher 
> than
> when he used regular dino oil.
> 
> Charles Armstrong
> '70 Bus
> 

I agree that it helps remove heat from the engine.  But we were talking 
VWs here, not Porsches.  Porsche is a different story where oil is concerned.
There's a 10+ quart difference in the oil capacity of a Porsche vs. VW and
I will not dispute that in a Porsche that oil is a much larger contibutor
to cooling.  I also would not dispute that synthetic oil would do a slightly
better job in keeping the VW engine cooler.  I would really like to see the
numbers over a large operating range city/highway driving.  My point was
that the VWs small capacity oil system is not going to help cool the engine
that much.  That small cooler is only going to help maintain the oil inte-
grity so that it does not break down.

-- 
Steven

sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com