Laurent

I was recently wondering at what temp. my engine should be running (I heard 180F). Consider this : 1976 911s W/stock heat exchangers (California model), i use 10W40 (it doesn't get too hot up here in Canada) my gauge sais about 190 when warm and 200F after a little highway. 220-230 on trips.

With an average outside temp 70F, are these readings ok? could changing my air pump filter (looks dirty) help lower that temp a little?
Hot hot are you guys running?

JackOlsen

Vanity plates aside, 220 to 230 is on the edge of worrisome, but not really that dangerous, in my opinion. If you're between 190 and 210, you're fine.

Do you have a fender mounted cooler? Verified that the external thermostat is working? Have you checked for any dirt or obstruction around the cyliner fins or engine-mounted cooler?

Carlos Artal

For the benefit of those of us who don´t have a number scale on the gauge, it would be interesting to know what temp is reached in each mark.

My ´86 3.2 Carrera normally stays below the first line (from the bottom), reaching it only rarely in winter stop & go traffic.

In warm weather, it will hover between the first and second lines. I´ve never seen it go past the second line.

Stephen Masraum

Carlos, Actually your '86 does have temp markings on the guage. you have to look way over to the left behind the edge of the gauge, but there are really small temp markings at each mark. I think it goes something like this,
bottom of gauge 60deg C
first mark from bottom 90deg C
second mark from bottom 120deg C
red at top of gauge 150deg C
They are really tiny and hard to see but they are there.
Another note. I believe the thermostat is supposed to open at 194deg F or something around that point, so I wouldn't expect a thoroughly warmed up car to run cooler than that except in cold weather.

Howard

Laurent,

I have a friend with an '84 Carrera, dropped it off for alignment and corner balancing, and discovered the PO had jacked the car up on the oil lines, near the rear tire AND the front. Needless to say the oil flow was reduced by 75%,replaced lines, now runs much cooler. You should check it out.
good luck!

john d 81SC

Laurent,

Bruce Anderson in his "Performance Handbook", states that the 911's proper oil temp is from 180 deg F(82C) to 220 deg F(104C).He states that 230 (110C) is warm, 240 (115.5C) is hot, and 250 (121C) is too hot.

Bill Gregory

BTW, if your pre-1989 temp gauge doesn't have the temperature markings out where you can see them, it's very easy and inexpensive to install just the temperature gauge with numbers in the pod. This upate requires a new gauge and sender. Getting the gauge out of the dash is simplicity itself: open the front hood, move the carpet aside, and push the housing with the oil temp/oil pressure gauges out of the dash. 4 small screws hold the oil temp portion in the larger housing. Old out, new in, change wires to new, push housing back into the dash, done with part 1.

Part 2 requires replacing the existing temperature sender on the engine with the new (actually it's the pre-SC sender) sender. The sender is on the right side of the engine where the cam oil line comes out at the base of the fan. You'll see a yellow/black wire attached to the end of it. Detach the wire, undo the existing sender, put the new sender in (don't forget the washer), attach the wire, and you're done. Takes about $65 in parts and 45 minutes start to finish.

catuck

I have a '75 911s with no reactors or air pump. It never gets above 210 even when auto-x'n in August at 90 deg. The only external oil cooler I have is the trombone in the fr pass fender. If you can get away with it in CA I would install SSI's. Its worth the cost in performance and no reactors.

By the way -Jack Olsen- that's one hell of a beautiful car. Must be quick with a 3.6. But you only need 72 dpi for the web. It took over a minute to download that image w/ broadband!

Cheers,
Chris Tuck
'75 911s

JackOlsen

Thanks. The image should take less than 7 seconds to download, even over a dial-up connection. It's 72 dpi, and less than 32k. However, it's cross-posted from the Pelican BBS, which lost its internet provider, and has been (temporarily) moved to a v-e-r-y slow server. I'll edit the message with a link to the same image from my Rennlist site.

Laurent

That for all the info folks!

I will probobly keep my exaust as it is, (I need the heater, and I need my $$). I will in fact check my oil lines to make sure they are A1.

As for external coolers, this might interest you guys : the front fender cooler (if there ever was one) has been replaced by a massive radiator placed under the driver/passenger. I'll try to get a picture posted... It covers most of the width of the car. Don't ask me where it got purchased, previous owner stuff - I didn't ask when I bought it simply because I didn't notice it!

JackOlsen

If you have a cooler under the car, it isn't an oil cooler. It's an aftermarket AC condenser, which is worth selling if you don't have the AC hooked up.

If there's an external cooler, it will pretty much only be in the front passenger side fender. Some cars do fine without them, depending on displacement and running conditions.

H. D. Smith

Went out today and drove about 40 miles in +80 F. The temp never went above 200 and I did get on it a few times and there was quite a bit of stop-n-go traffic. Nice to have her on the road again! <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

pwd72s

Hey, Jack...what is up with Pelican? This my first post here...registered because of missing the Porsche Palaver. You said slow server? I can't bring 'em up at all. That said, there has been much posted on Pelican on Jacks car, his search for the ultimate cool. Guys, jack has indeed been there & done that with coolers...

pwd72s

Okay, NOW I think I got the user name straight...so you guys from the other board will know it's me. Please forgive the newbie stumbling about. <img src="graemlins/icon107.gif" border="0" alt="[icon107]" />

JackOlsen

Pelican's up and running, albeit at a much slower than normal speed. The company that provided the hosting for the site went out of business, and Wayne is using a friend's company's internet connection to run the BBS through while he sets up his own direct feed to the internet.

So the slowdown should be temporary.

And regarding the topic, the best three ways to bring up temperatures are:

1) Track driving, where you're up near redline for extended stretches of time.

2) Stop and go traffic in the middle of summer.

3) Idling in still air, like a garage (with the door open, of course).

What most of us consider 'spirited street driving' shouldn't test the cooling system much, at all.