I installed a water temp gauge this weekend. For others who also have a temp gauge, what does your gauge normally read and at what temp does the fan go on? Mine is reading a little under 200 and the fan goes on a little over 200. That seems high to me. I know I lost a fair amount of water when I installed the sender and when I jacked up the front end to get the air out, the radiator belched up a bunch of water as well. I replaced quite a bit of the water, but I'm thinking I still have air in the system.
For those with a temp gauge
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It may depend on where your sender is installed. I installed a sender right on the thermostat housing. I'm thinking since it's reading the water temp as it leaves the engine block, it reads hotter than any where else would. On my Ranger, set up this way, the fan comes on around 190, but the sensor for the fan is not as fast as the sensor for the water temp guage and if you are running hard it can have a delay. Some times it seems like it's well over 200 before the fan kicks in. As for the water, I had to run the front up on a ledge to get it to fill properly, and it still took two tries.
For comparisons sake, most car engines run about 205, but that's in order to maximize the mileage. I put 180 thermostats on most of my personal cars to save the wear and tear of the heat. Hope this helps.
For comparisons sake, most car engines run about 205, but that's in order to maximize the mileage. I put 180 thermostats on most of my personal cars to save the wear and tear of the heat. Hope this helps.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Curmudgeon
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For comparisons sake, most car engines run about 205, but that's in order to maximize the mileage. I put 180 thermostats on most of my personal cars to save the wear and tear of the heat. Hope this helps.
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Might wanna watch that thermostat swapping, especially on recent cars. The computer is programmed to bring the temp up to a certain level, and since it never reaches this level it can continue to overcompensate in an effort to reach it.
There's nothing wrong with 200F coolant. Pure water doesn't boil till 212, and just a simple pressure cap will raise it (the boiling point) a good bit above 212 anyway. After you factor in coolant additives, the boiling point's so high as to not be an issue.
Modern oil can withstand the internal engine temperatures, so you're not helping it with the 180 thermostat. It simply makes fuel economy worse.
And if it actually lasts, say, 20k miles longer, but drops the gas mileage by 1 mpg, are you any better off?
Take a typical car's life of 200k miles. Figure 15 mpg, but drop that to 14 due to the cooler temp. That adds about 1000 gallons of gas to the consumed total, and about $3000 to the cost of owning the car. This doesn't count the extra $ in fuel filters, gas station fillups, etc.
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For comparisons sake, most car engines run about 205, but that's in order to maximize the mileage. I put 180 thermostats on most of my personal cars to save the wear and tear of the heat. Hope this helps.
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Might wanna watch that thermostat swapping, especially on recent cars. The computer is programmed to bring the temp up to a certain level, and since it never reaches this level it can continue to overcompensate in an effort to reach it.
There's nothing wrong with 200F coolant. Pure water doesn't boil till 212, and just a simple pressure cap will raise it (the boiling point) a good bit above 212 anyway. After you factor in coolant additives, the boiling point's so high as to not be an issue.
Modern oil can withstand the internal engine temperatures, so you're not helping it with the 180 thermostat. It simply makes fuel economy worse.
And if it actually lasts, say, 20k miles longer, but drops the gas mileage by 1 mpg, are you any better off?
Take a typical car's life of 200k miles. Figure 15 mpg, but drop that to 14 due to the cooler temp. That adds about 1000 gallons of gas to the consumed total, and about $3000 to the cost of owning the car. This doesn't count the extra $ in fuel filters, gas station fillups, etc.
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Mike,
On my 500 carb, the temp fluctuates quite a bit on a warm day. It'll run on up to a little over 200 until the fan kicks in. Then, as the fan runs, I watch it come down to just below 180. I installed the sending unit in the same location as the fan sender by using a brass tee.
On my 500 carb, the temp fluctuates quite a bit on a warm day. It'll run on up to a little over 200 until the fan kicks in. Then, as the fan runs, I watch it come down to just below 180. I installed the sending unit in the same location as the fan sender by using a brass tee.
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Your right Turbodog. The 180 thermostat can be a problem for some computers and it does cost milage. There is a performance gain however since the computer will run it a little richer untill it thinks it up to temp. My current ride (Hemi)will not have one since it's computer is smater than the previous one and you get nothing from it but lost milage.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by carnivore
When you say water you mean antifreeze right? You don't want to run straight water. My gauges read between 160 and 180, but my sensor is in the radiator hose under the floor boards.
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Yes, antifreeze. My sender is in the thermostat housing and I'm pretty sure I still have air in the lines...I'll try to bleed the air out again. Thanks, guys.
When you say water you mean antifreeze right? You don't want to run straight water. My gauges read between 160 and 180, but my sensor is in the radiator hose under the floor boards.
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Yes, antifreeze. My sender is in the thermostat housing and I'm pretty sure I still have air in the lines...I'll try to bleed the air out again. Thanks, guys.
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I had to goose it a few times with the front end up to get the air out. I let it idle the first time and it never purged the air out, even though the thermostat opened up. If you goose it and the water level drops a couple of inches, you have air, if not you are solid.
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Where are you guys getting your temp gauges from.
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Std mechanical guage from the parts house.
I drilled and tapped my thermostat housing to mount it.
You can get a guage and a pre drilled/tapped housing from one of the sponcers I think, but I can't remember which one.
I drilled and tapped my thermostat housing to mount it.
You can get a guage and a pre drilled/tapped housing from one of the sponcers I think, but I can't remember which one.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by RANGERJACK
Where are you guys getting your temp gauges from.
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http://www.prcforum.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=820
Where are you guys getting your temp gauges from.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
http://www.prcforum.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=820
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