Overheating, Engine / Cooling Options

[ash00]

Hi All,

After a month and a half of business trips, I finally got to drive my the 1970 914 that I'm still learning about.

One thing is clear, that the restoration was half-assed, and rather than blaming the PO, I have to figure things out the hard way. Hopefully before the fact. I'm trying to not let this leave a bad taste in my mouth of the 914 experience.

The recent issue is overheating. This is my first car in the aircooled world, and the car was equipped with a rebuilt 2.0L with the weber downdraft setup in place of the FI. It runs well when warmed up, but during driving, I can't drive it for more than 10 minutes without the gauge being pegged to the red. I'm hearing things of "false air" and such.

Pardon my ignorance, but I need a place to start looking for info. Is there any documentation or info out there on how the air cooling is managed, and what hardware is there for me to test / check? Any tips are appreciated.

Thanks,
Ash

[Porschef]

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Hey Ash,

You might want to check the gauge for accuracy first, then make sure there's no mouse nests/ obstructions in the cooling fins and that the flaps are operating properly. Also, that the oil cooler has air flow.

I have a kitchen thermometer with a long probe; something like that might be able to tell you how hot your oil is by putting it down the dipstick tube.

If you're over say, 220-230, then there's other issues at stake.

Good luck.

[ash00]

Great Idea. i have a fluke with a TC. I'll try that out. I'll first check at startup, idle for a few minutes, then driving for a bit and seeing what it is at halfway, then 3/4 then at red.