oil cooler question

There are more failure points than just the oil thermoswitch so first (with key "on" just to be safe) jumper/connect the two wires at the oil thermoswitch together (simulating a hot/closed oil thermoswitch):

If the oil fan runs = that warrants further looking at the oil thermoswitch (and the on/off temps should be in Section 3 of your OM).

If the oil fan doesn't run = there's an electrical problem somewhere else that needs to be fixed before worrying about the oil thermoswitch.

Good hunting!

 

Not really with it still in place except to drive the car and get the indicated oil temp above the "turn on" temp shown in your OM and confirm/deny if the oil fan turns on. Unless the price for a new one is crazy, it's sort of impractical to remove it, test it (by, say, putting it in an oven a little above the "turn on" temp and measuring the resistance with an Ohmmeter), and then replacing it or reinstalling it. Far more time=$ hassle than just taking out the old one and putting in a new one.

However, are you really having a problem? "Never heard my oil cooler fan switch on" is not conclusive evidence of a sin; "the oil fan not running when the indicated oil temp is above the turn on temp" would my requirement for investing effort into fixing it

 

I just took a quick look thru my OM and workshop manual and cannot find any info about the temperature at which the oil cooler fan turns on. I have only heard mine running after a hard run once, I think the oil temp was in the 220-230 range at the time.

As I said to the OP in a PM, given the Italian sense of organization of the manuals, the info may be listed somewhere obscure like under "luggage capacity."
Alden

 

220-230 deg F seems a bit high-ish (but could explain why the OP has never noticed his oil fan come on if there was a batch of thermoswitches to the high side) - TR (and many other F models) use that same 123277 oil thermoswitch, and Owners have reported their oil fans coming on at a much lower temp:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/144831311-post15.html

 

My fan did not work because the shaft was frozen. The shaft was frozen because, almost certainly, the car had, perhaps never, seen temperatures high enough to use the fan. I run my car hard even in hot weather up here in my N. Georgia Mountains. Ninety F and low humidity. When I see 230F on the oil temp gauge I pretend it is a "Slow Down" warning.

I doubt many owners of these 30 year old cars will ever run them hard enough to see 230F. And 230F is a rather low working temp. Full synthetics are good for 260F and thats what my motorcycle guys tell me. However, our cars were delivered with synthetic/mineral blend and for good reason. At least I believe so. For instance, 230F would be easy temp but mostly has do do with leaks.

PS: I was the third slowest car out of about 200 entered. A Lambo did about 210 mph or some such.

From time to time one hears of unexpected oil leaks and they use synthetics. I used synthetics and got one hell of an oil leak a few years ago. So much smoke worried the car would catch fire. So I added one can of each and every engine stop leak I could find. Most of the smoke cleared away in a couple of weeks. Within a couple of hundred miles there was not even a hint of smoke. Going on three years and 10,000 miles everything is copacetic.

But I always use 50/50 synthetic/mineral oil mix. And always add one bottle of stop leak. I will look up the number of my favorite from Amazon but it was AT 105 or something like that. They are all "re-polymers" and need to be refreshed.

And I always add this little hint on how to drive fast and also preserve the engine. Very. VERY specifically, if you are accelerating in earnest, shift at 6,000 rpms. I ran repeated runs at Heavens Landing 1/2 mile speed trials and my fastest trap speed was 115 mph shifting at 6,000 rpm. That was a shock. Having deliberately started run #1 at 7,500, and by 500 rpm increments on down.

It is with some consternation I observed speed creeping up with each lower rpm run. I had NEVER even considered testing 6,000 rpm!. But I had to, according to my own test criteria. Six thousand delivered 115 mph. The other shift points were only about one mph slower, and thus if you want to have some theatrics along with a decent run? Why not. Well. Like me a few years ago you might scatter a clutch disk at 7,700 rpms.

But that is a digression.

 

IIRC, the OM says shut it down and investigate if the oil temp tops 266 F.
Alden

 

Thanks for the information. Usually, they are pretty good about putting the "on/off" temps on the schematics for the thermal switches, but I couldn't find anything either for this one in any 3.0 documentation as Alden indicated. If you can, please post what/how your original switch is marked when you do the swap. TIA.

 

Thanks for the turn on range. If mine is at the higher end that would be a reason Ive never heard it work. I don't think my oil has ever gotten that hot. I checked the fan and it works. I'm otherwise not going to worry about it. Good info.

 

Thank you.