Normal Temp Gauge Reading, 1973 914 2.0 Options

[NJ914Guy]

Had the car out tonight and was running in 70-75 degree clear night time weather. Did some back roads and then a 20 minute highway run at 80mph most of the way. My factory temp gauge works, and it moved up, to just before touching the red area of the gauge. I would say that she stood about 1-2 temp needle's width from the red zone. Now that the warm weather us here, is this normal for a dual-carb 914-4 2.0?

Thanks

-Chuck

[simonr]

I have been having the same issues. Use this forum and search engine temp. This is a well worn path. The stock guages are not very reliable. Check your thermostat all cooling tin, double check timing and engine oil level . Get a dipstick thermometer you need to have temps with numbers not areas of white vs red. anything over 220 is beyond the comfort zone. Also AFR is very important.lean is mean

[tod914]

I switched from 20w - 50 to 15w - 40 and have had a notable drop in running temperature. Had it out today, and the needle on the gauge barely moved. Not to say that the oil weight is your issue. Possibly too far advanced on timing? Too lean of a mixture?

[tradisrad]

a nice upgrade is to replace that stock gauge and sender with a numberd gague and mathcing sender.

I run from 180 to about 210 depending on the ambient temp. I also have an aux oil cooler.

[avidfanjpl]

I have had 6 914's almost all 914 2.0L 73's.

Non ever ran carbs, but not one time did I go past the T on the temp gauge. Even in NJ in the 70's and in STL in the 80's.

Change the oil and filter. Use Brad Penn 20W-50 and change the temp sender.

Check that it goes only up a little towards the T.

I never had any overheating, even AX's and at Watkins Glen in the summer. At 100 here in CA, it never got past the T, even sitting in line at the AX idling way too long.

Just my 2 cents,

John

[Haudiosolutions]

I don't know what the normal temp should be but mine will run 180-210'ish and the hottest it's been is just under 250 but that was on a 96 degree day and had been running it on the interstate pretty hard then got off and sat in traffic. Inching up on the 250 mark concerned me a little over the weekend. I would get a temp guage with numbers for sure.

[914 shifter]

I switched from 20w - 50 to 15w - 40 and have had a notable drop in running temperature. Had it out today, and the needle on the gauge barely moved. Not to say that the oil weight is your issue. Possibly too far advanced on timing? Too lean of a mixture?

Hi Tod,
where did you find the 15/40

[Ferg]

That close to the Red is way to hot like 250... Do you have the small red zone or the large one that starts half way?

I'd start with the basics, (Flaps, Thermo, Tune ect) then find a IR thermometer to borrow and verify temp.

[VaccaRabite]

Ideal operation is between 190 and 215.
Getting more than that on a stock engine may be an indication that you need to clean out your tins around the oil cooler. Stuff likes to build there.
Keep in mind that engine temp on the gauge is just oil temps not head temps.

[914 shifter]

a nice upgrade is to replace that stock gauge and sender with a numberd gague and mathcing sender.

I run from 180 to about 210 depending on the ambient temp. I also have an aux oil cooler.

do you have the part #s for your gauge and sender ?

[914 shifter]

Ideal operation is between 190 and 215.
Getting more than that on a stock engine may be an indication that you need to clean out your tins around the oil cooler. Stuff likes to build there.
Keep in mind that engine temp on the gauge is just oil temps not head temps.

do you used compressed air to clean "in there" ? any of the tin in the oil cooler area readily removable to aid cleaning the outside of the oil cooler ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[VaccaRabite]

It's not easy... You need to pull the big tin on the pass side. Compressed air and carb cleaner. This will also let you remove all the lost spark plugs, mouse nests and leaves between the tins and the cylinder cooling fins.

[detoxcowboy]

Had the car out tonight and was running in 70-75 degree clear night time weather. Did some back roads and then a 20 minute highway run at 80mph most of the way. My factory temp gauge works, and it moved up, to just before touching the red area of the gauge. I would say that she stood about 1-2 temp needle's width from the red zone. Now that the warm weather us here, is this normal for a dual-carb 914-4 2.0?

Thanks

-Chuck

Everbody whom is trying to read the factory vdo gauges (dummy gauges) in fine detail as to the condition of there engine and performance should read this, all of it!.. Twice., I have posted this link several times over the past 2 years.. Tha is all .. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/VDOGauges.html

[914itis]

Here is a thread i started tempfor that same issue (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...701&hl=oil+

[NJ914Guy]

OK, took her out for about a 1-hour drive again last night. The air temp was about 80 degrees here in NJ. This time, the gauge did not run as hot. Did about 60 minutes of back road/country driving at 50-70mph. I have the '73 temp gauge with the longer red area. Max needle reading was fully covering the letter "E" in the word TEMP, with maybe the needle touching the letter "M" by just a hair on the left side of that letter. The only two things I changed were:

1. I had the roof panel on the car. Last time, when the reading was a bit higher, the targa panel was in the rear trunk. Not sure if that could limit engine compartment cooling?
2. The other day, I had checked the oil and put the dipstick in backwards (i.e. the open end of the handle was facing the firewall, now I flipped it to face the rear trunk).

I do have flaps installed, all cooling tins and gromets are in place and my sound pad is tight against the firewall, not hurting the fan.

This trip I took along my infrared thermometer and pulled over a few times to take some readings. Since I have dual carbs, I was able to shoot some engine case surface temps, just below the oil fill area (very center and hottest point I could find). At the hottest reading, the engine case hit about 178 - 186 max, hovering around 180-182. The dual carb intake manifolds both read 115-120 on each side. The engine was running very strong. I don't know what sender I have installed on the car. Is this something I can check without pulling off the taco plate? Any way to estimate the oil temp gauge reading against the surface temp of the engine case?

I think my plan is to purchase a dipstick thermometer and align that against my VDO gauge for a baseline. The valves were adjusted this spring, and I have the Aircooled.net SVDA distributor (just installed) with correct timing per John.

Any additional thoughts would be appreciated. I will update this post after installed the dipstick thermometer.