Cooling Tips?, Can we keep our engines cool? Options

[tiim5]

The recent heat wave in the bay area caused me to wonder if there are methods to 'cool' or otherwise lower the temperature of our engines while we are driving?

I recall an article in Hot Rod magazine years ago, suggesting coasting in neutral,
preferably downhill, as a method to cool a V8 engine. The engine at idle slows the pumping of coolant allowing more time to cool in the radiator. When you would put it back in gear the colder coolant would enter the block and the temperature drop was noticable.
I assume at idle our engines fans are least efficient but at higher rpm more air is moved but operating temp should also increase making this a wash?

Is there anything one can do to get the temp to drop? Is driving at a constant speed, 70 mph for example better than varying speeds?

If the engine gets hot is there any way to cool it down while driving?

Thanks

[tiim5]

The needle on my stock temp guage moves only slightly to the right even in slow freeway crawl, it has never approched the red nor has it gone to the 'middle' of the guage. I don't know what actual temp is at those points. I guess it is running ok.

I suppose another tactic might be removing the rain tray for summer driving, this should enhance cooling?

[Rand]

The needle on my stock temp guage moves only slightly to the right even in slow freeway crawl, it has never approched the red nor has it gone to the 'middle' of the guage. I don't know what actual temp is at those points. I guess it is running ok.

I suppose another tactic might be removing the rain tray for summer driving, this should enhance cooling?

Freeway crawl is easy on the temps. It's the high speeds that will push the temps up on these things.

My rain tray is out, but the impact on temps is minimal.

Based on what you say about your temp gauge, sounds like you should just drive and not worry about it.

The stock gauge is only oil temp though, and the head temps are important. If it's tuned correctly you shouldn't have to worry about it under any kind of normal driving conditions. But a vdo head temp gauge is a good $80ish well spent just to know where it's at.