Kenny_Stang

I would err on the side of caution, especially as you are in Houston. For peace of mind, go ahead and install the oil cooler, it certainly won't hurt anything.

ViperASR

This was me. I did a few track days with the stock radiator and no oil cooler, oil analysis came back good. After that I added a big dual pass radiator and Setrab oil cooler. Oil analysis came back even better. I sleep a little better knowing temps on the motor are well within the working range.
Its probably not "needed", but I certainly don't think it will hurt anything. I see oil temps of ~240F with the 19-row cooler on an N/A. I image most people who say their oil temps aren't an issue aren't logging oil temps. I'd bet they see north of 270F depending on ambient and air flow. Traffic and track/speed make a big difference in both water and oil temps. As does skill level and length of the session. I had a student who's water temps never went over ~195F. I did 2 instructor laps in the car and water temps went to ~210F and I slowed down to let it cool off.

The s2000 doesn't have a factory oil temp sensor, my assumption you wouldn't know oil temps are too high until it was way too late and the bottom end had issues.

Mike RT4

Best Motoring's endurance battle:

King Tut

I agree with this guy.

Dead Serious

With a stock ecu you dont need an oil cooler. Tracked my car stock for 30 events and done 15 with a VAFC. All in florida with a stock radiator and busted up A/C condenser.

SlowTeg

^I'm with this guy. If you're going to be tracking it a lot and regularly, then it's worth the "investment" imo. If you only plan on going a cpl times a year, then it's probably not necessarily worth it. The only problem with people who say "you don't need an oil cooler" is that there are so many variables it might not be worth it for one person, but make sense for another. The problem with those who say "XYZ isn't necessary" is that you never know if there's damage occurring until you hear knocking.. Did you make a post comparing your oil analysis before/after the oil cooler? Sounds interesting, could you share the details or provide the link?

King Tut

You are talking about a slippery slope when your justification is whether something is worth the investment. I would say proper safety gear is way more worth the investment than an oil cooler. I think the typical reasons that S2000 motors fail on track are pretty well known.

saleach

Adding an oil cooler would be good insurance to have, especially if you already have one lying around. Is it an absolute requirement? Idk. I would start with adding an oil temperature and pressure sensor so that you can monitor the oil temps on the track and decide for yourself based on the conditions. Real life test data in the form of oil tests and temperature readings would be the best determining factor.

SlowTeg

Proper safety equipment is quite pricey and a big commitment, whereas an oil cooler is what ~$400? I know plenty of people that track w/o an oil cooler and are just fine.. It just seems like something that's relatively inexpensive for some peace of mind and should provide some benefit. I ran an oil temp gauge for a cpl years before installing an oil cooler.. To each their own..

BlueBarchetta

Data log your temps, and determine if you need one from actual experience. If you don't have data logging equipment, get a simple AEM probe and gauge, then focus a GoPro or similar camera on the gauge.