Operating temperature vs power and longevity! http://www.carnut.com/ramblin/_cool3.html Took me months n month to find that again, we have several threads a month here about temp. Some only run a 195, some run much cooler.
That is an interesting subject. My temp stays around 165 when driving around, but I am staying with it for the hot days in traffic.
Yea they make some good points in that article. I run a 180 in the Buick wagon but my 3rd gen V6 I run it at 165-170 as its runs much crisper at lower temps, when at 200-220 like stock it becomes a slug. Have tried running the Buick lower on temp wit ha 165 stat but notice no gains so I put in a 180 for that happy medium range.
The key to running hot and fast is to keep the air/fuel mixture cool by ducting in outside air through a fully sealed air cleaner assembly. Better yet, ram air in from under the bumper or where the inboard headlights were for dual beam cars. What usually ruins everyone's day is running a hotter thermostat and then pulling in the hot air from under the hood. Another big help is an "air gap" type of manifold, but there's not much selection out there for our engines. Devon
Nothing, but I'd like to make a setup that draws out of the wheel well. However finding an air cleaner that has a drop base and would fit under my hood is the issue. I'm rubbing as it is.
K&N's flow control air cleaner is the lowest I've found, and it's the only way I can close my hood. Looks like good engineering, too: http://www.knfilters.com/Racing/flowcontrol.htm I'm also looking into attachments that will allow two four inch ducts to feed the element, keeping it sealed from underhood air. I want to start with something like this but fully contain the element: ...I'll post what I manage to find. Devon
Poston sells a ramair kit that looks pretty effective. http://www.postonbuick.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=PE70100
Might be fine for a '70-'72 Skylark/GS. I've heard not-so-good comments over the years of the quality of the molded parts. Devon
I bought one from Poston and can squeeze my little finger through the gap between the air cleaner housing bottom plate and cover. The spoiler and hoses are relatively OK, but the cleaner housing is unfortunately useless. I need to find or manufacture a new one.
Guys, unless a thermostat fails you can't blame it for an overheat issue. Even with a modest 15 lb radiator cap, the boiling point is already up to around 260° F with a 50/50 antifreeze/water mix. Once the 'stat is open, it's up to the rest of your cooling system to do its job. If you have a good 180° F thermostat and the engine heats up to 210°, you have radiator, water pump, fan, shroud or some other things to worry about. If the car keeps heading towards the boiling point, switching from a 180° to a 160° 'stat isn't going to make any difference. Devon
