Flathead temp

[Ianrhall]

I know there are a million threads on flathead temp issues but...
My 53 has run fairly hot (on the gauge) since I've had it. Does not show signs of boiling up tho
It has rebuilt motor,recored rad etc. I just got one of those cheap wireless thermostats and pointed it at the sensors after a run. Right hand side of motor(at the sensor) was 193 left was 169. Rad top was 170, do I have a sticking thermostat? I do not know which stats I have in there
Thanks
Ian

[Johnnydidd]

What is the outside temp, I have 160 deg thermostat, when its 90 deg and I run it 70mph, the temp gauge will read on the dash, the small white bar past the long bar, with external gauge its 185. Since cold weatheris here, I can run it all day long at the end of the log white bar, about 160.

[Ianrhall]

It is around 62 here today, bit of a heatwave!
Ian

[Ianrhall]

My needle sits between the 2 small bars, fairly close to H but it doesn't go any higher even in traffic
Ian

[JSeery]

The hotter it runs the better, should be a minimum of 180, but closer to 190 is better. The hotter an engine runs the higher the efficiency and the longer the engine life.

[tubman]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

FYI, I did the same tests with the IR thermometer that you did. Here are the results :

......................Top of....Bottom.of..Front of......Back of.....Front of.......Back of
.....................Radiator..Radiator...Left Head...Left Head..Right Head...Right Head

Heater Off..........175.........157..........173......... ..175..........182............174
Heater On..........175.........174..........176.......... .177..........184............184

This was on a day when the outside temperatures were in the 70's and I run 180 thermostats. I am happy with these numbers. I find the differences in temperature interesting between having the heater "Off" or "On". This is a U.S. built car with the right head being the passenger side with the heater connections on it. It looks to me like the heater takes a lot of heat out of the system.

All in all, your system looks good to me, but given the time and money required, I would replace the thermostats. At least test them in a pot of boiling water on the stove.

[supereal]

IR hand held temp guns are handy, but the readings can vary widely depending upon the color of the surface it is aimed at. If accuracy is important, we stick a white Post It or mailing label on the target.

[Ianrhall]

I'm more concerned about the difference in temp between each side, I'll check it again tomorrow if it's a nice day!
Isn

[jltrade]

My rebuilt 1951 Ford 8BA with a fresh radiator has always run 15-20 degrees hotter on the passenger side. How can I be so sure? Early on we installed independent gauges for each head under the dash.

[Ianrhall]

Same as mine then! What would cause that?
Ian

[JSeery]

That's one of the reasons to run thermostats, because the right and left side of the engine are separate on a flathead they require separate control.

[AnthonyG]

That's interesting, I just went through a thread I posted with my fresh 8BA having the same condition. That is colder on the driver side than the passenger side by about 20 to 30 degrees. Even though the car runs great. Was curious as you are with this. JSeery who I've taken advice from before and has a post on this thread indicated on mine that the cold side on mine ( driver side ) was too cold and said I needed to do something to get it higher ( was running 160 at stand still and lower at cruising speed). Several in my thread thought they had heard previously in threads and around that it's pretty typical for the P-side to run hotter than the driver side. I was running no stats, I installed a 180 stat on the d-side ( colder side ) and it worked. both run within about 10 to 15 degrees of each other and the cold side is running at a more appropriate temp ( 180 + now ) matching the other side more closely.