Thermostat problem
 

Nice driving in the 3.6 engine today, but one problem (which is not bad, considering). The 3.6 doesn't have an internal oil cooler, so I upgraded my 73 to a Carrera cooler with larger diameter (hard) oil lines. There wasn't room for a fan. My plan, eventually, is to either 1) do an Optima battery conversion, and then cut out the extra battery box so a pusher fan can blow loads of fresh air from the horn grill to the oil cooler, or 2) put a second oil cooler (in series) in the drivers side front wheel well.

That's all well and good, but -- in driving the car around, today -- the temperatures (without a fan) hovered between 120 and 160. Going uphill for a long stretch in traffic, I finally got the needle up to 180.

This is a problem, you ask? Yes. I think it is. It's the kind of news that's too good to be true, also considering that I know the oil line thermostat (which kicks in at what, 210 degrees?) was sending oil to the cooler. What it makes me think is that the 3.6's sender and my trusty 1973 dash gauge are not working well together. Again, the gauge (which used to work fine) is showing temperature changes, but I think the readings are inaccurate.

Any suggestions?

Also, is there a simple way to check the actual engine oil temperature without dropping $200 on a pyrometer?

I'd like to know what the situation actually is before I beef up the cooling system, but I can't do that without reliable readings.

Thanks in advance.

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe

Stunning car you have-So maybe you do not like the idea:
What about going for an RS-style front bumper?
Than you have room for an additional oil cooler right in the bumper.
Should be looking Cool...

Jens

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I prefer the look of the S front spoiler to the RS front spoiler, and I worry about damaging a front oil cooler in city driving.

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe

I am sure the stock sender from a 3.6 is a different calibration for earlier years.

If your oil lines that run to the front cooler are too hot to touch your oil temp is above 200' so it seems you are not running as cool as indicated

Jack - you are now a hotrodder so you can use some hotrodder ingenuity. Pick up a domestic V8 truck style transmission temp guage and place it in line at the output fitting for your oil cooler. This will help you until the stock unit is fixed. Obviously your motor is WAY too expensive to risk burning up.

Jack,

If that temp. gauge turns out to be correct then your system needs an external thermostat, as 160 F is too cold for normal operation ... normal factory thermostats start opening up in the 175-180 F range.

As far as testing the sender goes, you could remove it from the engine, 'extend' the gauge lead and ground with temporary clip leads or a temporary extention set of 1/4" quick disconnect leads about 3-6' and dunk your sender in a pan of boiling water for a quick reference check ...

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa