Hey all, I have been running my engine a bit as of late getting ready to do test runs, and I have been finding that without a stat I settle in (at idle) around 205-10. My uncle has always been on me through the years (he owns a trucking a rigging company) that anything over 185 is running too hot. I have a manual electronic fan from a Ford Taurus that pushes (from the front) a lot of air through the rad, so I don't believe it is an air movement issue. while I have no stat, I was just wondering how many of you all are idling in the 200s and how do you feel about it? Rad is a new 3 core 65 Mustang for the 289 and I just can't seem to get it out of the 210- range. I was also thinking of running the heater core hoses out the back of the truck under the bed with a small 12 volt fan above a new heater core as an auxiliary heat dispenser? Pork
I'm not a proponent of electric fans but is it large enough to cover the majority of the radiator. My feelings is if it's getting that warm whats it going to do sitting in traffic,nothing in the world is as gut wrenching as watching that temperature gauge steadily climbing and there is nothing you can do. HRP
temp gauge in my wife's late model truck sits at 210 all the time after it warms up. Seems to run fine, doesn't use oil, gets good mileage, etc. Who'd a thunk it? btw pretty much every new car built in the past 40 years had a 195 thermostat installed in it at the factory. I dont worry until mine get up to 230, and I don't let them get up to 240.
Put the stat back in there and see what happens. You may be surprised. I've seen cases where too much water flow without a stat doesn't allow enough time in the radiator to cool down.
X2 that you actually need a bit of restriction to slow the flow down. Whether that is a thermostat, or a big washer with a hole, the end result is to slow down the flow a bit so the radiator can actually remove heat before coolant goes back into the engine. Also agree that 205 is nothing to worry about, that is cooler than most late model cars run as pointed out by Squirrel.
Well most cars today run a 195 thermostat so they are never going to see 185 once they warm up, and 205 would be base line. Up to 240 is normal on a new car with 195 stat and 16 pound pressure system. If your uncle is still driving a Model T with no pressure system he is right, 205 is on the edge of boiling over. Of course the T had no thermostat. Figure out what thermostat and pressure cap you have and you will know what is normal temp. The rule is the hotter the better for economy, power and engine life. Just don't go so hot you burn up your motor. A modern engine with modern cooling system and modern oil is fine up to 240.
What engine, in what car? I'm probably old fashioned but I don't want any of my old cars to run that hot. Mine all have 180 degree thermostats and usually run around 180-195 in the summer heat up here in NorCal. I don't have an electric fan on any of my cars, just factory style mechanical fans. Make sure your temp gauge is accurate before getting to carried away making changes, I've had some pretty inaccurate aftermarket gauges in the last few years. And I am a believer in some kind of thermostat in the system. Buy a good one that fails in the open position.
Do Not run without a thermostat! The water circulates too fast and does not allow the coolant to do it's job of removing the heat. At minimum run a restrictor, but there is really no reason Not to run a thermostat, which aids in warm up which in turn is better for motor wear.
My old 65 c10 with 292 ran hotter without the thermostat than with one in it. +infinity on putting one in. My '53 is going to get a 180° 'stat. Sent from a Glade Air Freshener
And you nor any responders here have said a word about your timing...you know it just might be retarded a bit...check it..
Still don't know what car or engine. a Mustang rad isnt very big. Pusher fans BLOCK air going thru the rad. Does it have a mechanical fan and a shroud. Does it run 210 in town or on the road. IMO only new cars should run that hot; I'll keep my 50's cars right where they were even with a few up grades.
It all depends on your radiator cap pressure.. I have read the same question about this topic on HAMB many times before, everyone running a pressurised system, is worried about running over 200 degrees, or whatever is stamped on the thermostat.. I've said it before, so I'll say it again... "For every 1 pound pressure of the radiator cap, the boiling point gets raised 3 degrees." So if you're running a 13lb cap, boiling point will be around 250 degrees. 212 degrees, plus 39 degrees created by the 13lb radiator cap.. Therefore 205 / 212 degrees is where it should be. Idling in heavy traffic, or slow speeds might see 225 / 230, If you run a catch can (recomended) you wont have any problems. The temperature on the thermostat is when the water starts to circulate thru the radiator, not what the engine should be operating at..
Running w/o a radiator does not cause less cooling because the water moves too quick, quick is actually good - you never ever want the water to stagnate around the hottest spots in the engine as they may be there long enough to heat up and start boiling. The thermostat (or any other type of restrictor) helps by restricting the water flow out of the engine, causing the water pressure to rise inside the engine (from the pump to the thermostat at the outlet). The water coming out of the engine might have a nice "low" temperature, but there are plenty of areas inside the engine around combustion chambers and exhaust ports where temperatures are way higher. Even if the general coolant temperature is far below boiling there may be hotspots where it boils inside the engine - not enough to notice, but enough so the steam bubbles prevents the coolant from touching the metal, causing the metal to get hotter, causing more boiling... A pressurized system raises the boiling point, reducing the problem. A system with restricted flow out of the engine raises the pressure where it matters too, and also improves the situation. If you run an engine with coolant flow out of the engine completely unrestricted the engine will boil at a lower temperature than if you have a thermostat or any other suitable kind of flow restriction there (for example an old broken thermostat with the guts removed or a simple washer with a suitable size hole). If I recall correctly, there is a good chapter on the subject in the book "four stroke performance cooling" by A. Graham Bell.
Will the temperature reading vary much whether you are reading the temperature off the intake, the pass side rear head, the drivers side front of head or do aluminum heads make much difference in the temperature reading?
Put in a thermostat. 205 is not hot water boils at 212, every pound of pressure in your cap will raise the boiling point 3 degree Unless you are puking out coolant you won't have any problems
Thanks guys! I am sorry, I had signed off yesterday and not come back, so I didn't chime in after Noon. Def gonna put that stat in, I have a 185 state on the shelf. In regards to my uncle running Model Ts; actually up to a few years ago he ran twin sisters, both 1963 Diamond T, tandum dumps. Each had 290 Cummins, and both had 5 and 4 trans, which I learned to drive by and got my CDL with. So, yes, Big D, my uncle, does live a little in the past- but he has never steered me wrong in live. Thank you for all the info. From what I recall (not in front of the rod now), I am running a 15 pound cap and the stat in the box is a 185 (to be installed soon). The fan is relayed off a manual switch on the dash and pushes quite a bit of volume (hell of a lot more than a typical man. fan). Thanks for all the suggestions gang - this is why I love me some HAMBone!
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