Overheating

[22229stingray81]

Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me figure out if my vette is running too hot. It has been somewhat hot weather hear lately (90 degrees give or take) and I have about a 20 mile drive to and from my college campus everyday. My question is where should my water temp gauges be reading? In traffic my water temp gauge can read over 200 degrees, or over the better part of the thick white line on the guage, but it has never gone completely over.. i believe this is 205 degrees or so? Also my oil temp gauge has never reached the middle mark of 250, but usually it rides between the 1/4 mark and the 250 degree half mark. Usually when I start moving out of the heavy traffic almost immediatly my water temp will drop to a little under the thick white line marked "200", is this a safe operating temp? When im sitting in traffic and its over the better part of the thick white line is this too hot? Should it be cooler? Also when i cold start her my water temp gauge rises all the way to the thick white line, then after the first accleration, drops down to the actual temp after a few seconds, is this normal? Is my gauge going bad? Sorry for writing so much.. but I worry about it alot.. also my '81 came factory with the 8-track and clock radio so i may have an extra gauge then most because there was no in dash clock cause it was included in the radio... (oil pressure gauge instead?) thanks for any help anyone can give me.

-Tatortot

[Nut]

Tatortot,

My '81 usued to run at or around the 200 mark. This should be normal reading with a 190 degree F thermostat. She will spike up from time to time under load and/or city driving in warm weather. I wouldn't worry about it unless it stays consistently in the 220-230 range. It'll usually take that temp before the electric fans kick in.

However, it did bug me too this summer so I switched out the 195 thermo and put in a 180 thermo. She runs really cool now in normal driving but it will spike up under loads again but nowhere near the 220 except when it was around 100 degrees this summer.

The oil temp gauge will usually run prety close to the water temp reading.

......... Nut

[c4ever]

Tatortot,
Keep in mind that these gauges are not the most accurate. An easy way to tell is see what your temp reading is when your stat opens. assuming of course your stat is operating properly

My 82 runs at about 200 down here in S Florida and a tad higher with the A/C going.
I must say my oil temp runs fairly high in this heat about 240 at times but within acceptable range when using M1.

Hope this helps some.

Carlo

[22229stingray81]

Thanks a lot guys, this really gives me ease of mind. It sounds that I am actually running a little cooler you guys even! Today when I started her up for the ride home it kept dieing; I found upon inspecting the engine that a vaccuum hose came loose (was attatched from the break booster to some throttle linkage, pcv valve maybe?) and was making a high pitch squeel, soon as I recconected it the engine was fine, but I thought it may have something to do with the temp, but as soon as I read your replys I feel a lot better about everything. Thanks again.


-Tatortot

[Nut]

Tatertot, You're in my neck of the woods. We'll have to hook up in Old Town or nearby one evening for a snack. I know a great place in 7 Corners for dinner. Compare '81's, swap stories. When I put the 180 thermo in she runs VERY cool now, but I'm wondering how cool she'll run when the weather starts turning cold.

Later............. Nut

[22229stingray81]

Sounds like a plan, tell me where when and Im there!

-Tatortot

[Tom Bryant]

That's about where ours runs too. Drops about 10-15 degrees with the a/c off. Also like yours, there is a noticable difference when air is moving through the car, even at 30 mph. It has never gotten more than just a little over 200 which is nothing to worry about. Some GM cars came with a 210 thermostat.

Before Bud and Nut ect. ask how I would know how hot it gets, I'll tell you. I actually got it out on Friday. Warmed it up with the A/C on to circulate the oil and then drove it down the river road and back a few times.

I wonder how many of us still have the 8 track pumping out the tunes? In '81 you got the oil temp guage in place of the clock.

Tom

[Nut]

Tom,

I would if I still had the 8-track player in it. She came with the 8-track/CB optional radio but amazingly the original owner (who is a real gearhead and does know the value of OEM stuff) took the radio out and SOLD IT AT CARLISLE years ago!!!!!!! Argh!!!! No reason to go get another one; it's time for a serious upgrade to a CD player and amp. I got an extra center gauge bezel at Carlisle last year.

.......... Nut

[22229stingray81]

When I bought the car 3 years ago it had the current cassette player installed, but the owner of the time gave me a box filled with the original player, about 30 8-tracks, original intake manifold, and a rusty old part that i could not identify. Also came with an extra set of etched windows (etched on drivers side was a man riding a tiger looking over a lake, and on the passenger side is a mermaid looking over the same lake... how tacky is that? but a good conversation piece) a metal louver shade sort of thing for the rear window, a cloth top that fits instead of the t-tops, and an extra goodyear tire. Although I much prefer the sound of the engine, it sure is nice to at least have a option of listening to music! and not old 8-tracks of ABBA.... yikes!


-Tatortot

[Tom Bryant]

We should start an 8 track traders section in the classifieds.

[GerryLP]

Tom, Tatortot,

I have the original cassette/stereo/CB for my car, but the display LED module is going bad. I have done some research around for a replacement, and I even had some Avionics folks at work search around for a vendor on this module, and I have had no luck.

Does anyone know where I might get some help for my factory radio?

[Yoda]

Gerry,
Check out this Website or one of the many others from the Portal Tab from the top of the page

BudD

[GerryLP]

Bud,

Thanks for the suggestion and the link. They look promising , and I hope they can me.