From time-to-time, I get individual requests...

[Ken]

Every now and then someone will e-mail me directly with a common question about their car, something that could be answered in the forum for which it was designed.

It is much easier for me to answer the question in a forum rather than privately, mainly because it saves me time and effort from having to re-type the answer each time. By posting the question in public for all to see the first time allows everyone to benefit from the response and even add their own comments; after all, I certainly don't know everything! :L

I'll allow the questioner to remain anonymous.

I have an 84 coupe ,I believe the top speed is about 85 , my oil temp starts to creep up to about 290 and then the red oil temp light comes on and I back off to 70mph and the temp calms down. My water temp is fine... about 25 degres below what ever my oil temp is.

Is 85mph the top speed for an 84 and and can I can I get the oil temp cooler for the longer drives at top speeds? other tha than she drives fine.

First off, although the bar graph of your speedometer only indicates a maximum of 85 mph, the digital readout on the will continue to count all the way to 999 mph, if you could get it to go that fast! :L

290° F is high for a stock L-83, or any other stock engine for that matter. You didn't mention how long you sustained those speeds when the oil temperature started rising, but normally, unless you're driving a race car on the course, you're not going to experience such elevated temperatures. An oil cooler would definitely help.

Installing an aftermarket oil cooler on the engine isn't difficult at all. The hardest part will be deciding where you want to mount the exchanger. Coolers are available from Summit, or Jeg's, or one of the other outlets. They market the Earl's Temp-A-Cure style as well as others.

 

[WhalePirot]

What does the water temperature do at those oil temps?

Is this another candidate for leaf and road debris cleaning?

My '84 did 150, unmodified, with no trouble.

 

[Ken]

Mike, he stated:

My water temp is fine... about 25 degres below what ever my oil temp is.

 

[ShaneL]

First off, although the bar graph of your speedometer only indicates a maximum of 85 mph, the digital readout on the will continue to count all the way to 999 mph, if you could get it to go that fast! :L

Hmmm... I beleive I read somewhere that when Callaway made an ultra fast C4 (I beleive that it was called the Sledgehammer) that when they got up to 255 the digital spedometer started to count backwards even as they continued to go faster.

-Shane

 

[Ken]

Never heard that. It doesn't make sense, but ...

At any rate, the point being is that the digital display will read beyond what the bar graph will indicate.

 

[Vettefan87]

Yes I have taken a couple of budies for rides and they glance over and they are like "What kind of car is this if the speedometer only goes to 85". Then i explain the whole three digit digital thing, oh well I love the digital gauges. That is part of the reason why I wanted a earlier C4.


Justin

 

[militant_x]

From what I understand the sledgehammer couldnt read above 255 because the digital dash uses an 8 bit counter.

that is the largest binary number:

11111111 = 2^0+2^1+2^2+2^3+2^4+2^5+2^6+2^7 = 2^8 -1 = 255

I cant imagine going that fast, my car shakes at 150.

 

[WhalePirot]

Cool, Mil. I never thought of that!

I don't recall shaking at 150. I'll have to check!

 

[ShaneL]

Yes, that is it exactly. I was looking in the callaway forum and saw the sledgehammer when I finally remembered.

'least I didn't give wrong info...

-Shane

 

[esbv762]

1984 oil over heat

I use mobil high performance oil my vette has about 199,000 on it.. i was driving stright out for about 3 hours at 85 when my oil temp started creeping to 270..280..290.. at 297 it went into the red and I backed off and coasted at 70 miles an hour.. the temp came down and I was good to go. my oil level is good and I change it every 3k... but my digital only goes to 85 ,.I never bothered to push it .. because of its age and its just a get around town car and I dont do a lot of highway driving with it. will the digital change to reflect the higher speeds over 85?

tks in advance