Quote Originally Posted by SyntheticShield View Post
There was actually a study done (I read it a long time ago so I dont have a link to it or a copy of it) some time ago that linked the reliability of vehicles many years ago to under the hood temps and hinted that part of the reliability problem today is just as you mentioned.

I dont remember exact numbers now, but it seems they said the average under the hood temp for vehicles in the 60's and 70's was something like 160* or there abouts and todays under the hood temps are pushing 200*+

You should also note that oil sump capacities have dropped significantly since that time too. Average sump capacity then was around 8 quarts if not a little more. Now days its barely over 4 quarts. Iam of the belief this is a large factor in the reliability of German and European vehicles, their large sump capacities. It helps keep the engine cooler.

I serviced my friends Chrysler Crossfire and that sucker holds 8.5 quarts of 5W40 synthetic motor oil. And the filter is positioned in such a way that you wont loose any oil if you want to change it more frequently to help keep the oil cleaner.

I run a dual oil filter set up on my GP and as a result of that it takes nearly 7 quarts to fill up my system.
Makes a lot of sense when you think of it. I never thought about the sump capacity. On one of my T/As I had a moroso setup to increase my oil capacity. Makes sense more capacity the cooler the temp.