Quote:
Originally Posted by Daim
On top of that, the oil doesn't take the engine heat. It is a lubricant. So this means, where the engine coolant is pumped around, it is the hottest. The oil is ONLY used in bearings. Bearings of course do produce a bit of heat, but not enough to instantly warm up the oil (like water can).
So the oil will always take longer to heat up and will remain colder than the water as the oil has enough time to cool down in the sump...
As well hence the lack of an oil cooler on many motors, where as now water cooled engine can do without a radiator  |
Of course oil absorbs engine heat , its in direct contact with the all engines moving parts not just the bearings hence the reason for oil coolers because merely returning it to the sump is not enough to maintain the optimum operating temperture and also why some high performance engines are of the dry sump type , oil very often is operating at higher temps than the coolant in severe conditions