<VV> Normal engine temp?

[FrankCB@aol.com]

        Well, IMHO it's impossible to compare temps between cars with 
different gauges UNLESS the gauges have been calibrated.  These stock Spyder/Corsa 
gauges were never very accurate to begin with and after 40 years, there's no 
telling how inaccurate they are.  My 65 180 Corsa (with UNcalibrated gauge) 
normally indicated 400 deg.F just cruising at highway speeds on a flat road.  Up a 
long steep hill under heavy load, it climbed to 450 deg.F.  Back on the flat 
road the temp dropped again to 400.  The 66 95hp Monza had a CALIBRATED Stewart 
Warner gauge that normally read 350 deg.F.  Driving on 3 cylinders (only 1 
carb functioning) brought the temp up to 450 deg.F in July highway driving 
getting the car home.  (Math test:  If one carb is making A/F = 13 and the second 
carb is making A/F = infinity, what is the AVERAGE A/F???)
       So the REAL value of your CHT gauge is to establish what your NORMAL 
reading is under idling, cruising, and high load conditions and then when that 
gauge deviates from these values you know something has gone wrong.  For 
example, if the idle temp drops significantly, it may signal that one of the 
thermostats has failed, since it's not unusual for one (or even both) thermostats to 
be closed at idle speed in the cold winter months.
       Frank "likes measuring stuff" Burkhard    

In a message dated 9/30/04 7:17:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
hmlinc@sbcglobal.net writes:

> I'd say that 300 - 350 is probably a fairly normal range depending on 
> ambient air temp.  At 400, you want to start keeping an eye on things.  At 
> 450, there must be a problem.  At 500, things are beginning to melt.
> 
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> 
> Later, JR