• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

75 mph @ 105 degrees

Share this page

kcbugeye1275

kcbugeye1275

Jedi Knight
Offline
Last evening I took the BE for about a 20 mile trip. It ran 205 to 210 depending whether up or down hill. I've really watched it an am trying to decide if that was OK. An earlier post helped me with a slight rad. neck leak under the cap. I sanded the neck and that solved the problem. Also, at Harbor Freight yesterday I bought a thermal meter that shoots the temp for $10.
 
Mine usually runs about 190-195 on long hot expressway drives, but I have yet to drive it in 105 degree weather. I think 98 degrees is the hottest it has been out when I've been driving.

Do you have the original '58 bonnet with no ducting, or is it on of the later one with the ducting?
 
I ran 205-210 the whole way home across Iowa last weekend in 90F weather.

It's fine. The problem becomes that once you do start boiling over, you lose water and air is bubbling off of heated surfaces, not aiding in cooling.

That's why it's important to have the cap and system at the specified 7 pounds of pressure to curb boiling.

I am not sure if my dash gauge is lying to me either. I'd like to buy a good IR thermometer for this very reason (as well as 10 other reasons.)
 
My '63 Midget runs around 205-210 also as does my '67 MGB GT...I can't seem to get either cooler but it doesn't affect them, yet!
 
Mine runs about 190 when the ambient air is between 85 - 100 if I'm moving faster than 30 mph.

In stop & go traffic & it's that hot outside it will go up to 210 - but hasn't gotten over that yet.
 
My BE is an early girl (6509). However, the bonnet could be anything. This last winter in the restoration, it was stripped to bare metal and I found the wings had probably been replace sometime. There is the shroud that extends almost to the radiator.
 
In the South California desert mine used to run 210-220 (uphill/downhill) but the 50/50 antifreeze and the 7 pound cap held everything in check. With 50/50 antifreeze I remember that the boiling temp is around 230 and with pressure is higher.
Bill
 
Try some of Redline Water Wetter was good for me to help cool down my Big Healey


Cheers

Mark
 
Back
Top