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NASCAR Engine Oil Pre-Heating Procedure

17:36
35:05
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At 17:36 in

My Third Race EVER in Vintage NASCAR Monte Carlo! Mike Wallace is My Spotter

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What happens here

Before starting the engine of a dry sump NASCAR stock car, it's crucial to pre-heat the engine oil. This is done because the tight tolerances of high-performance engines can be damaged if started with cold, thick oil. First, plug an external heater into the oil tank. After the oil has heated for approximately 20 minutes, remove the oil pump belt. Then, use an angle drill with a 1/2-inch bit to manually spin the oil pump, priming the system. Continue until the oil lines feel warm to the touch, indicating proper oil circulation. This process ensures that critical engine components are lubricated and expanded to operating temperatures before the engine is started.

Goal: Properly pre-heat the dry sump engine oil to prevent engine damage.

Tools and materials

  • 1/2-inch Bit — Attaching to the angle drill to spin the oil pump
  • Angle Drill — Manually spinning the oil pump to prime the system
  • External Oil Heater — Heating the engine oil in the dry sump tank
  • Oil Pump Belt — To be removed temporarily for manual priming

What they say

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the right feeling when the race comes. Something a lot of you probably don't know with these cars if you see a power cord and plugged in behind the seat there. That's not to charge the battery. That is going to the heater on the oil tank. These cars hold about 5 gall of oil. This is a real R5P7 Dodge engine from the truck series 20 years ago. The tolerances inside them are so tight. If you start them with cold oil and nothing is expanded yet from the heat, you can cause damage to it, premature wear, all that stuff. So, what you do after you let the oil heat for about 20 minutes, you have to do this every time you start the engine or you will hurt it. You have to slide the oil pump belt off, which takes a little bit of work. Then, I use this angle drill here with a 1/2 in bit and spin the oil pump over to prime the system because the dry sump creates a vacuum. Eventually, there's no oil in the engine. run it until I can put my hands on the lines and feel that all this is hot, you know, from the hot oil that came from the tank. You also might be wondering, well, there's probably not actually Pens oil in that car. Oh, it's race motor. It's like, no, there actually is Pens oil in this car. It's ultra platinum 0W40, and it's the same stuff that you can go buy at the parts

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