(sorta) dumb question...

[randomhero]

If the number one killer of engines is heat, how is this statement true? Is there something i havent heard about?

Chris I see what you're saying, and I can't comment with absolute certainty, but there is a point in which temperature has both a positive and negative affect on performance. 98.6* may see like pretty hot outside, but if our bodies drop more than 5* below that or above that, we will eventually die.

Point being that there is a temperature at which the engine will operate most efficiently and stray too far from that point and there will be problems, I just don't know at what point that is

[cjriojas]

Gotcha, thanks

[truckinL33]

I'm sorry, that is what I was trying to say. There is a point in operating temp. that is too cold for optimal running conditions. 160 is not really a good temp. for newer style engines for being efficient and making the most power. You can obviously overheat an engine, but just about every engine in production these days runs atleast 195 degrees.

[DoogieLee]

I think I get it now...

only thing is, my engine didnt start running at 195* until I put the 180* t-stat in it.
Before, on the stock t-stat, it stayed dead on 190*, unless I was pulling my double ski trailer, in the middle of the afternoon, 97* outside air, and stuck in traffic.
Then I would see 193 at the most.
Now, with this 180* it runs all over the place from 188-199, depending on traffic.

For instance, I just drove 16 hours back home to FL from Tyler, TX, I drove through the middle of the night, least amount of traffic, coolest air temps, and it stayed at 195... until I pulled off the exit to get gas and as soon as I stopped, it would jump to 197.
Get back on the road and it was back to 195 within a few miles.
FWIW, my tranny was running at 107* and IAT's were right at 40-42 most of the drive.
Thanks for all the imput,
-Doogie=

[truckinL33]

that is very cold for a transmission. I don't know how much I would trust factory gauges some times (assuming that's what you are looking at). Your t-stat you have now may either not be a 180, or it may be defective, or it can be something different all together. Either way, those temps are nothing to be worried about. The trans though might actually be too low, if that's full operating temp.

[DoogieLee]

These numbers are from my ScanGauge, although I do have SS gauges with a tranny temp gauge, I prefer the actual number vs.
"a fuzz under the 210 mark"

I had been on the road for around 6-8 hours, averaging 75 mph, when I flipped through the functions of the gauge to the TFT, and got the 107* reading.
Like I said earlier, IAT's were around the 40-42* mark, so it was fairly cool going down I-10 last nite.

[truckinL33]

I guess lock-up cruising in temps like that would do that, especially if you have a nice trans cooler. You still may want warmer temps, the fluid has to be thin enough to get everywhere it needs to go in a trans. and I don't know if that is hot enough. Having said that, I have also heard so many times that you can never over cool a trans. Did I confuse you yet? lol

[straightaxle]

I woudn't worry about bringing the coolant temp down unless you've got a good reason to do it. i.e. lots of compression or timing.

my car has 10.9:1 compression w/ cast iron heads and a very mild solid lifter cam. I run 36 degrees total timing. When coolant tamps are under 170 degrees I have no trouble with the car. If the water gets up to 180-190 it will ping at WOT. When the water temp gets up to 200 it will ping climbing a hill at half throttle. But like I said if the coolant is down at 170 I have no trouble.

So unless you have trouble with detonation I don't think there is any advantage to lowering the operating temperature.