What temp should a '72 911 E run at?

[Russ]

My '72 E runs at just over 210 normal driving, while my old 69 911T never got over 180. Is 210 too high for that car?
Thanks
Russ

[pwd72s]

Not really..210 is still well within the safe zone. Do you have the optional front cooler? I'm suspecting not, because I have to work hard to get above 180. In some ways more dangerous than 210. At 210, you're evaporating the moisture out...I wouldn't get worried until 230 or so...and at 240, I'd begin to really worry. That's getting hot... If the climate is hot where you are, you may want to start researching front mounted cooler options...but I'd say live through your first summer first, with an eye on the gauge?

[H.G.P.]

What would be the safe zone for the track? Thanks.

[Jim T]

Originally posted by pwd72s
Not really..210 is still well within the safe zone. Do you have the optional front cooler? I'm suspecting not, because I have to work hard to get above 180. In some ways more dangerous than 210. At 210, you're evaporating the moisture out...I wouldn't get worried until 230 or so...and at 240, I'd begin to really worry. That's getting hot... If the climate is hot where you are, you may want to start researching front mounted cooler options...but I'd say live through your first summer first, with an eye on the gauge?

I agree - 210 seem right, around 205 would seem optimal.

I would think a car that never gets over 180 is much worse off than a car that runs at 210.

[Jack Olsen]

Track is the same as the street. 240 is where you should start worrying. 250 is where you should pull off and cool down.

(Edit: For an early car, I'd worry at 230, and pull off the track at 240.)

[T Bird]

Russ
It all depends on the outside ambient temp. I never drive my car when it's under 50 degrees, but if it's between 50 and 70 with low humidity, my oil temp rarely exceeds 185 F. As it gets warmer outside or more humid, the oil temp will rise accordingly. On a nice hot summer day, the oil temp will level off at 210 F. I've never seen it hotter than that.

[racemor]

The extra oil cooler must really make a differrence. My car does not have one and at 80+ mph highway on an 80+ degree day it pushes 240. Makes me nervous when it does. But 15-20 degree cooler weather drops oil temp the exact same amount.

Tom

[marc weintraub]

I owned a 72"E" for about 7 years and through all of my ownership, this car never went above 200 even in extreme heat. I found that it spent most of it's life hovering between 180 and 210... never hitting the 210 mark. It never mattered how hard I drove it either! This particular car did have the front cooler.

Marc

[Saffs]

Originally posted by racemor
The extra oil cooler must really make a differrence. My car does not have one and at 80+ mph highway on an 80+ degree day it pushes 240. Makes me nervous when it does. But 15-20 degree cooler weather drops oil temp the exact same amount.

Tom

Mine's much the same. 90F day at 90mph, for a long while, was 230F temp on the car ('73.5 T with no oil cooler).