Hi Bob:
Yes you are correct, I meant to type 15W-50, I corrected that, good catch amigo! I did find out quite a bit about this low temperature thing. First, according to the technical specialist that I talked to at Mobil, he stated that the 180 - 210 F range is the optimal range for most oils, including Mobil 1. Mobil 1's claim to fame is that it is perfect for high stress driving situations, ie: real cold, real hot or short runs when the
oil does not get hot.
That all said, it seems according to him, I have one of two thing going on, first and most likely, the
oil cooler is over cooling the
oil or doing too good a job. He suggested putting a clear plastic screen in front of it to see what effect if any it has on the oil temp. He thought it would go up by 20 degrees or so.
That test will prove out the second issue, which could be that my oil temperature sensor or gauge are reading a normal reading as lower than it actually is. The plastic shield in front of the oil cooler will give an indication of that perhaps.
He then suggested one of two things, either a thermolitic donut valve or an in-line valve or a in-line shutoff valve that would stop oil from going to the cooler.
Indeed we shall have you over to look at the Cobra. I am busy this weekend with prior commitments (Darn!). Maybe next weekend or during the week?
I am going to be putting in a Optima battery and nice battery box in the trunk. I did not like the old battery or its box. It is on its last legs for sure. Was changing out the anti-freeze and doing a flush or two this evening. Will be continuing on that work tomorrow night.
Cheers.