Oil temp question? Options

[torakki]

I finally got the '74 2.0L running well and went for a 20-to-30-minute drive. Temps were in the upper 80s and I'm not sure if the car was getting to hot.
Since there are no digits on the gage, I need to ask. I found a drawing of gages, so I think I'm in the 240 area. Not sure if the temp was still going to rise since I was back at home. The photo is from the passenger seat but from driver side, the "P" was mostly covered by the needle.
Am I still in the safe area? Thanks for any knowledge on this.

[Superhawk996]

Lest anyone accuse me of just propagating my own mythology here is an excerpt from an engineering text on air cooled engine. Note: this book was first published in 1961 and second edition in 1972 . . . So again Dino oil era.

120C =248F
80C = 176F




If anyone is interested in this book here is a link to 1st edition of an otherwise expensive book.
https://archive.org/details/air-cooled-moto...-.m.-e/mode/1up


Correction to my previous post
The Bruce Anderson book doesn’t reference 180F as max temp - my mistake

It is confusing and contradictory though. At best he’s saying 200F oil but then goes on to say 220 is high end of proper operating temp. I think people latched on to the lower number thing less is better (not true). I clearly latched onto that same lower number in my memory. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)