914 with 4 cylinder stock set up in long trip, how reliable is a 914 4 cylinder Options

[ndfrigi]

Hi guys,

I just saw the postings on recent trip from 66 route and it was mentioned that there are few joined the event with 4 cylinder engine.

My question is, how reliable is it for a long drive/trip with just a stock set up engine without modification in the cooling system?

Or does it need modification in the cooling system and what are those items?

My car is a 1975 1.8 FI.

Thank you and God Bless!

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-...92529_thumb.jpg

[Dave_Darling]

Counterpoint:

My 914 runs hot. On 90+ days on longer-distance trips I would have to stop periodically to let the oil cool down. I'm pretty sure it was over 250F on occasion when I stopped.

I now have an external oil cooler, and temps never got over 240F, even in 100+ weather through the Nevada desert, climbing up hills. The cooler is in a sub-optimal location (under the rear trunk floor) but it still helped.

Charlie Davis out in TX had a 2-liter that always ran hot. He tried a number of experiments to bring down the oil temps. Some had to do with ducting air into the engine bay, others had to do with trying to get air to a poorly-located external cooler.

So there are 914s out there that could do with external coolers.

--DD

[ndfrigi]

Counterpoint:

My 914 runs hot. On 90+ days on longer-distance trips I would have to stop periodically to let the oil cool down. I'm pretty sure it was over 250F on occasion when I stopped.

I now have an external oil cooler, and temps never got over 240F, even in 100+ weather through the Nevada desert, climbing up hills. The cooler is in a sub-optimal location (under the rear trunk floor) but it still helped.

Charlie Davis out in TX had a 2-liter that always ran hot. He tried a number of experiments to bring down the oil temps. Some had to do with ducting air into the engine bay, others had to do with trying to get air to a poorly-located external cooler.

So there are 914s out there that could do with external coolers.

--DD

Sir Dave, any site or previous posting regarding external coolers which I can check?
Thank you sir for the detailed reply!

[ThePaintedMan]

Sir Dave, any site or previous posting regarding external coolers which I can check?
Thank you sir for the detailed reply!

IMHO, get the car tuned to perfection first. That includes learning how to do a valve lash adjustment, which can greatly impact how hot the car runs.

Then you can move on to finding out what the oil temperature is by installing a good gauge (might consider a quality cylinder head temperature gauge as well.) As Dave mentioned, some engines just run hot, for whatever reason, but most of them cool very well if there aren't a ton of leaves and other obstacles in the path of the air. A gauge is the only way to tell for sure.

Not to keep harping on it, but replacing your fuel lines and the seals should still be at the top of your list (http://www.tangerineracing.com/stainlessfuellines.htm). Chris makes a great set which you can install with the engine in the car. That is, of course, unless you like the "car-B-Q" look.