Hey all, back again. Got a question...

I recently replaced my engine temp gauge due to it was faulty, replaced it with a generic aftermarket one. Just ran it from the stock hole on the block. It is not electronically controlled it is simply a glorified thermometer around town it reads 190, no problems there but long trips on the highway, (I have only take one), it got up to close to 220/230. I would assume that is a bad thing but not sure.

Would there be any ways to mitigate that with say a lower temp thermostat or some type of additive or is there a bigger source to this problem or is the problem the ambient heat hitting the connection wire from the block the gauge. should that be better insulate? I also live in southern texas and its near 100 everyday. or is it a totally normal operating temp and Im just not educated enough about my vehicle.

It recently got new headers and exhaust and new AC and Tranny...everything seems to be in fine to near perfect order...but that engine temp scares me a bit...Im still a rookie when it comes to being a gearhead so any help or advice would be greatly appreciated

cheers - dave

 

That's a bit on the warm side. What's the condition and age of the radiator?

Also, if you look down into the radiator through the cap, how many rows of cooling tubes do you see?

 

If it's running cooler around town,and hot on the freeway,I'd say your radiator is a little plugged up.Mine did the same thing,I pulled the radiator,put muratic acid in the radiator let it sit for about an hour,then flushed it out real good,put in a 160 thermostat,it runs way cool now...almost too cool!

 

FWIW, that's a fast track way to shorten the life of your engine.

 

It is definatly the original factory radiator. I opened it up and looked through(fluid looked fine) and couldnt really count tubes? saw what looked like a plate running the length of the radiator with offset slots...about big enough to put a penny through. sorry for that cryptic description but thats the best i can give ya.

is running like 180 vs the 190 I assume is in there too cool? Im guessing i should stick to factory specs there but didnt know if the constant heat of texas would justify the 180.

Thanks(hoping not to have to replace my radiator)

 

Why would running a 160 thermostat be a fast track way to shorten the life of an engine? It still runs way warm enough to keep it out of rich mode. My van even runs much better than when it was running warm.

 

The engine doesn't fully expand, making tolerances tighter. In the short run having tighter tolerances sounds like a good idea, but in the case of a lower temperature t-stat...those tighter tolerances are artificial. The engine ends up wearing at the tighter tolerances, then whenever (or if) the engine gets up to to the 195 degree operating range, the tolerance will exceed maximum specifications due to the engine now fully expanding. If you or a subsequent owner never ever install the recommended 195 degree t-stat then this might never be a problem. But things change and there might be a need to go to the higher t-stat at some point.

 

What's your opinion of going with a 180 degree t-stat?

 

I think any computer controlled vehicle should use the recommended t stat/ 195, or your MPG will suffer.

If you radiator can no longer keep the engine cool, using a cooler thermostat is not negating the poor performance of the radiator. There are those who claim that removing the T stat or drilling holes in it helps solve overheating issues. I believe that when this is done, the water does not remain in the radiator long enough to effectively dissipate the heat.

Sure a t-stat is cheaper than a radiator, but a radiator is cheaper than an engine rebuild.

 

The same as going with a 160 degree one. If a 195 is specified, then that's the one that should be used; because that's the temperature the engine was designed around. I don't know of anyone that would install tires on their van that came off a Toyota Corolla. Why? Because that's not what the van was designed to use and it will eventually cause problems.