Thanks all!

If I were you, I'd put fans on both of those coolers. Nothing else helps when you're stuck in traffic. Wire them both directly to the battery with a relay, two fuses, and proper gauge wiring for the draw of each fan. Best setup is to kick them on with a temp sensor with a manual switch override, but if you know to pay attention, the manual switch is simpler, if a bit riskier. Not all 12v fans are created equal.

I have a numeric gauge on my 3.6 swap (from a 3.2) that the previous owner installed. It is wildly inaccurate (not matched to the sender). Stick to the one you have (which has both exact temps that are a bit hidden and a good indication of what temps are appropriate). Maybe we can do a swap if you want a series of otherwise unindicative numbers.

When troubleshooting temp stuff, the IR gun is great. Make sure oil is flowing when and where it should be before worrying about anything else.


All that said, is hitting the second line a real problem? 230 increases wear, but so does 50. I can't imagine spending a few minutes at 230 is much worse than running a cold engine. Like, could a head ever warp if you're staying between the lines, and near 210 for the vast majority?