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(1) 2 »

Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#1
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Packard 1948
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Where does your engine temperature gauge indicate when the engine is definitely warmed up on a warm day?

On this engine I have installed a 6 blade radiator fan, the system is pressurized with the radiator cap, and I also have installed a overflow bottle and I know that the water diffuser tube is solid and installed correctly and the radiator is clean, and I used a 150 degree thermostat.
(all this being said to demonstrate that the cooling system is in a known serviceable condition).


It seems that after a drive in relatively hot air 90 degrees F that the temperature gauge reads at approximately the 80% of its scale near the H position.

I ran an infrared thermometer on the thermostat neck and it was showing about 210 degrees. The head was significantly harder as would be expected. Next time I have it on the lift I will check the lower radiator output temperature with the engine warmed up.

The gauge does seem to stay about the same range even when cruising down the highway at 60 miles per hour.

Was the 150 degree thermostat a good idea? What is the stock thermostat temperature set for?

Posted on: 2015/9/3 19:58
Bill,

Dedicated to keeping the man who owns one on the road!!!
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Re: Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#2
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Packard 1948
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Wow...57 views and zero reply's.

Is this thing on??? tap...tap...tap...squeal?!?!?!?

;O

Posted on: 2015/9/4 9:46
Bill,

Dedicated to keeping the man who owns one on the road!!!
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Re: Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#3
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HH56
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It is on but I think you have asked a question that has no definitive answer so lots of looks but no takers.

I think what is considered a normal running temp on an inline 8 is a big question to many. So many reports of engines running hot or overheating I doubt you will find a dozen with the same temp. I have read that a newly rebuilt engine will run warm until it loosens up. I hope that is true because my 356 seems to heat up to the range you mention after just a short time running. It hasn't been on the road to see if it gets worse or better with more air flow.

Only thing I can answer with certainty is the standard thermostat was 160 degree. The low option was 148-150 depending on engine and the high option for those in cold climates wanting more heat from the heater was around 190. Doesn't seem like a lot of difference between the low and standard range to make that much difference. Not sure what if any advantage there is to the 150 thermostat.

Posted on: 2015/9/4 10:02
Howard
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Re: Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#4
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JWL
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The 150 thermostat is probably an artifact of the time when alcohol was used as an anti-freeze. It has a low boiling point and needed the low temp stat. It was common for the alcohol to be replenished during the freezing weather season. Cooling systems were drained and straight water replaced the alcohol for warm weather driving. An anti-rust and water pump lubricant were recommend to be added when the system was serviced with water. This recommendation was not followed by all all the time and lead to a lot of internal rusting. I was running a 140 temp stat in my formerly owned 47 Custom Clipper. It was a NOS bellows type. This worked well in Austin's year round warm weather.

(o{}o)

Posted on: 2015/9/4 10:13
We move toward
And make happen
What occupies our mind... (W. Scherer)
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Re: Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#5
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Packard 1948
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I wanted the 150 degree thermostat because the engine would run cooler and therefore show lower on the gauge and that hopefully keep my dad from "overheating" when he sees the gauge creeping up.

I guess the way to test it would be to spot the infrared thermometer just below the temp sender and see what that reading is and correlate the gauge reading.

Posted on: 2015/9/4 11:03
Bill,

Dedicated to keeping the man who owns one on the road!!!
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Re: Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#6
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Owen_Dyneto
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Agreed, the 150? thermostat was for methanol (alcohol) antifreeze (Zerone, as opposed to Zerex) which was still in use into the early 50s.

As to what temperature an engine should run, as built and when new I'd venture that they ran at or just a few degrees higher than the thermostat setting unless is a very stressful situation. Loss of cooling system efficiency is, unless totally neglected, a slow and gradual process and its a tedious process to fully restore a cooling system to "as delivered" efficiency. And yes, a freshly rebuilt engine will run hotter than normal for quite a few miles, sometimes a thousand or more, due in large part to piston rings and cylinder walls gradually wearing in to each other.

Some auto makers and vendors played games with temperature sensors to make drivers less anxious about overheating; perhaps the most famous was Cord in the 1936/37 models where to solve what customers thought was (and indeed was) chronic overheating, they simply installed a different sensor to lower the reading on the gauge. Cord's condition was so precarious at the time they had little choice but to lower themselves to this subterfuge.

Posted on: 2015/9/4 12:53
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Re: Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#7
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Tim Cole
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The thermostat will be fully open 20 degrees warmer than the rating. 210 degrees at the thermostat housing is pretty far up there. I would check the temperatures along the block.

My modern car runs 178 at 60 mph in the summer with the A/C off. The manual says it's a 170, so the thermostat is not fully open in that car.

Unless these old motors were very carefully maintained, I think they are going to run hot. I knew someone with a low mileage 343 roadster (1927). The car never ran hot. I knew another guy with an 840 touring car (1931) that was restored from junk. His engine would boil over before that 343 would even break a sweat on a steep hill.

Posted on: 2015/9/4 16:14
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Re: Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#8
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John
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A friend was telling me that having alcohol in gas will make an engine run hotter. I guess the engine runs leaner on alcohol mixed gas, than with straight gas.....
Do you guys enlarge your jets any to compensate for this??

John

Posted on: 2015/9/4 19:30
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Re: Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#9
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Owen_Dyneto
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At least one of the major carburetor rebuilders offers you the option of rejetting richer for E10.

Posted on: 2015/9/4 19:52
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Re: Engine Temperature Gauge Reading
#10
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kasli
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Do we know anyone who repairs the temperature gauge and sending unit

Posted on: 2016/1/28 12:19
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