I hate gauges that don't show temp. Is this too warm??

[cabmandone]

My car always seems to run in about the range of where the needle is when it's between about 75 and 90 F ambient. Is this normal? I really hate gauges with lines and no numbers to correspond. I had a gauge that showed temps but sold it and now I'm wishing I had kept it and installed it.
FWIW, I haven't seen the temp go above this point in town driving or on the road but the engine has only been in the car since last August so I have no baseline.

[Arne2]

If the gauge and sender are both accurate (a big if), that corresponds to about 120°C, or around 250°F. A little on the warm side compared to my '84. Mine has never gone that high. Warmest I've seen is about 110°C (230°F) on a 90°F day with the A/C running.

Side note. Adding numbers to the gauge you have isn't hard. Still no guarantee that it's accurate, though. Check 911 Gauge module overlays for °F. I wanted Celsius for mine so I made my own gauge face. Post from my car's thread.

[RSTarga]

That is way too hot. Should be at or a tad above the lower line

[911pcars]

Corresponding numbers are on extreme left of the display. Take a peek obliquely. Also, perform a Google search, "Pelican SC oil temperature gauge" for several threads on this subject.

As mentioned, your engine is running too hot. Possibilities include malfunctioning sending unit, gauge or thermostat (engine and external), loose fan belt, obstructed air flow path (engine and/or external cooler), etc.

Sherwood

[tuchan]

Getting a bit warm going by the gauge given your ambient temp.

I tackled the same issue by yanking out the trombone pipe and adding a big cooler and one heck of a fan. Going by my gauge the thermostat seems to open when the gauge gets about half way, then it wont get much more. Before that it would get real hot in the Summer.

[LjH]

I changed the senders and put the overlays on several years ago. This should take care of your problem going forward.

[Nico911]

This is way too high. Is it possible that the switch that allows the oil to go up front to the radiator does not work ? My 1985 has never gone that high.

[RedCoupe]

Just this afternoon, I drove the 86 Targa with the AC running from Phoenix at 1,000 ft up I-17 and SR 69 to Prescott, elevation 5,500. Ambient temp in Phoenix was low 90's, and I was doing between 70 and 85 up the mountain inclines. Temperature never exceeded the mid point of the gauge, or about 220. If you're experiencing higher temps than that without pulling mountains or running the AC, it seems to me that all is not quite right. I would check the entire cooling system including the thermostats. If the oil coolers and thermostats check out okay, I would stick my boroscope in the openings in the cooling shroud and make sure there isn't a rats nest in there!

[gamin]

Gauge overlays are available from newvintageusa.com and are easy to install yourself. It is useful to purchase an IR thermometer hand held. Can check temps at various points at various times. They are inexpensive. Amazon. Your temp indication is high.

[cabmandone]

I guess I've got some searching to do on why my car is running this warm. I put in a new front cooler as my brother had removed the original from the car. Is it possible my front cooler thermostat is stuck? I'll look into the temp sender. I replaced the pressure sending unit a while back because the engine from my donor car came setup with a earlier gauge that showed temp and pressure in numbers like the one pictured in post 6. I'll have to look into where the temp sender is located and see if it too is wrong for the gauge.

Thanks for the replies.

[KOH]

When my '87 started getting that high it was usually in traffic. I found the wire to the front cooler fan broken. Once I fixed the wire everything went back to normal.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by KOH

When my '87 started getting that high it was usually in traffic. I found the wire to the front cooler fan broken. Once I fixed the wire everything went back to normal.

Maybe I should add a fan? My car didn't have one with the original engine and cooler so I didn't put one in with the replacement.
For the record, regardless of ambient, I have never seen the gauge move above this point. It warms up to this and doesn't get any closer to the red.

I found my sender. I'm going to order a new on since the one in the engine is most likely for the early gauge. I also found that my fan belt is a bit loose so I'm going to re tighten the belt and drive it today. I suspect the sending unit is going to be the problem because the car ran this temp last summer and fall when the belt was first installed and tight.

Belt is tightened, waiting for fog to lift to go for a drive then I'm going to check lines to the cooler to see that they are getting warm.

Again, I really appreciate all the input.

[mreid]

With it running that hot, you should be able to reach under the passenger front wheel and feel a very hot cooler and oil lines. You can tell by feel if the thermostat is opening.

You have some other wackiness going on. Your oil pressure is low (not horrible for fully warm at idle) and your oil level is very high. What oil are you running and was the engine recently rebuilt?

[kodioneill]

First you need to verify that that's the actual temperature before taking any action. Get a cheap digital meat thermometer get the car warmed up put the probe in the oil tank to check the oil temp.

[javadog]

Definitely check the part number on the sending unit first. Takes 30 seconds...

JR

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by mreid

With it running that hot, you should be able to reach under the passenger front wheel and feel a very hot cooler and oil lines. You can tell by feel if the thermostat is opening.

You have some other wackiness going on. Your oil pressure is low (not horrible for fully warm at idle) and your oil level is very high. What oil are you running and was the engine recently rebuilt?

Ignore the oil level gauge! It fluctuates from full to empty at about any given time. I use the dipstick to check level. I'm not going to fight with the tank sending unit because from what I've read they are a known flaky part and again I check with the dipstick.

As for pressure, from what I've read that's completely normal for a 3.2 at idle. 800 to 900 rpm idle corresponds to about 1 bar.

Originally Posted by javadog

Definitely check the part number on the sending unit first. Takes 30 seconds...

If I'm taking the time to remove it and check the part number, I'm going to order a replacement and put it in, that way I've got a known good sending unit. I don't think I'll be able to see the number without removal.. right??

[MConn]

It's common for the oil lines going to the front cooler to get crushed where they go around the jacking point. This is easy to check by looking at the lines by the right jacking point.

The front cooler fan should come on when it reaches the line it's at, around 240F. I can hear when mine comes on.

Mike

[javadog]

You can see the part number without removing the sending unit. Takes longer to open the engine lid...

JR

[tdskip]

Originally Posted by mreid

With it running that hot, you should be able to reach under the passenger front wheel and feel a very hot cooler and oil lines. You can tell by feel if the thermostat is opening.

Very pragmatic test, let us what you find.

[ant7]

Also,
Check the tension on your fan belt, it may be a simple case that the fan is slipping!
Hope this helps.
Anthony.