Heat!
 

So I've been doing some work on my 53 merc. I've got new thermostats water pumps and I've had the radiator boiled out. I've got a infared thermometer and the heads around the spark plugs are reading around 190. The center at the 8cm is reading 200. Is this about right? The heat gauge is running above three quarters on the stock guage. I have 160 thermostat in it. Thanks!

Re: Heat!
 

You're cool!

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Thanks! I'm guessing my gauge is wrong? I'm trying to figure out a way to hide an aftermarket guage. Thinking maybe a bracket or something to flip up to hide.

Re: Heat!
 

maybe a mechanical gauge from each head mounted on a flip up panel as you said.....Mike

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That's what I was thinking according to the gun it's running 10 degrees colder on the passenger side head. I was hoping that it was the guage I couldn't imagine it was anything else. The guage is reading all the way up to 4 quarters.

Re: Heat!
 

I don't have any overheating problems with my '51, but when I got my new infrared thermometer, I read all over the engine, and also found the passenger side was running 10 degrees cooler I think it may have something to do with the heater being on that side, although it wasn't on when I did my checking. Weird.

Re: Heat!
 

You could hide a gauge behind the sun visor or in the glove box.

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Just for comparison I checked my 52 Merc tonight after a good hard quarter mile test run.. The digital infra red showed about 160 on the passenger side head and 170 to 180 on the left side. Heater core is disconnected on this one so not sure why one side would run hotter. Temp gauge on this one usually runs about dead centre or a shade above. No thermostats.

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Re: Heat!
 

consider pulling the sending units and either cleaning or replacing them. Also ground the gauge and look for full deflection. Normally the gauge doesn't need calibration. Remember the wiring is over 60 years old!

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I don't know which is worse 60 year old wiring or A J.C. Whitney harness😂😂

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Here are readings I took on my engine after a long pull up a hill in 95 deg weather

Location.................... temp
Top tank ....................173-179
DS head (center).............183
PS head (center)..............183
DS thermostat housing .....173
PS thermostat housing.......179

All using an infrared laser heat gun. My dash gauge reads a needle width above center, that's on a 12-to-6 volt converter.

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That's close maybe 10 degrees higher on everything. And like a previous poster said idk about where you live but it's 90 degrees here

Re: Heat!
 

Thanks all for the replies I'm going to play with the heat gauge as suggested and see what I get.