08-20-2010, 01:09 PM | #1 |
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Engine temp
Where did the magic number of 160 degrees come from?
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08-20-2010, 02:24 PM | #2 |
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Re: Engine temp
Not sure. 160 degrees for what? Thermostat, rad, water, inlet pipe, outlet pipe, engine, head, oil?
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08-20-2010, 02:39 PM | #3 |
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Re: Engine temp
fuel atomizes properly at a temperature of 160 degrees. also to burn off the moisture etc in the oil. thats why alot of racers and so on run a 160 thermostat. anything cooler than that affects proper atomization.
Last edited by Mitch//pa; 08-20-2010 at 03:40 PM. |
08-20-2010, 03:10 PM | #4 |
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Re: Engine temp
FWIW, I read somewhere years ago that cars with cast iron cylinder heads run better at 160 whereas aluminum heads run better at 180. Don't know what the nature of the "better running" was, and, sadly, I haven't been able to find the source again.
I also understand that 160 is a minimum to achieve vaporization of blow-by combustion byproducts that wind up in the oil pan. Higher temps put you closer than necessary to the boiling point of your coolant, which is especially important if you're using just water in an open system, and even more important in the old days if you were using methanol based (non-permanent) anti-freeze. All other things being equal, the higher the combustion chamber temperature, the higher the thermodynamic efficiency of an engine. Unfortunately, another consequence is that the oxygen and nitrogen in the intake air react much more rapidly to form NOx pollutants at the higher temps. That's why, in the primitive air pollution control days of the 70's, mileage and power went all to heck when the federal mandates could only be met by lowering engine temps. When catalytic converters were developed, the NOx could be taken back apart before release and the engine temps and performance were cranked back up. I'm not saying it's not true, but I don't understand the business about racers using 160 thermostats, and it's not just because of their misuse of the word "atomization". Steve |
08-20-2010, 03:46 PM | #5 |
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Re: Engine temp
OK, that's sounds good. I've heard for years about 160 degree thermostats but since the A's never had them I often wondered where that number came from.
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What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II |
08-21-2010, 05:40 PM | #6 |
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Re: Engine temp
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