I recently sent my oil press. / water temp. gauge for a rebuild (I
managed to use the starter solenoid to weld the sending tube shut.
Isn't that what the solenoid is really for :-( ?) At any rate.. I
assumed that the temperature guage would be correct when I got it back.
While driving the other day (about 90+ here in Little Rock), the temp.
guage got up above 215 on the freeway which I should think is a little
warm. What should I be running? Around 200? I retarded the timing
just a little so that now I am probably 3-4 degrees BTDC thinking that
that might be the cause of running hot. The car still starts easily but
I can feel a little loss of response at higher RPM's. Still hot after
adjustment according to the gauge.
So, back at the garage, I got out my handy dandy candy thermometer and
read the temp. at the filler neck of the radiator. Guage (read from the
block) showed 212 - Candy thermometer (at the filler neck) says about
190. Is the guage wrong or is there that much difference in temp.
between the top of the radiator and the block? I kept the engine running
while I took the measurements.
Previous to this saga, I installed a coolant recovery tank that should
theoretically keep the expansion tank on top of the radiator full. Does
this do any good or is it just a waste of time?
If the guage is wrong maybe I should just not be so nervous.
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