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Impressive Temp Gauge

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Velox

Velox

Jedi Hopeful
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Well I am officially impressed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif with my 40 year old temp gauge. Today for a spirited fall spin I headed out for a 30 minute run around some country roads with the autumn temp right at 48F. I noted a slight *undercooling* problem this summer with my engine temps about 160F even on very hot Iowa days. I noted max temp this morning never above 130F which I would think is not an adequate operating temp (but I assumed the gauge was off). So at home I used a digital laser thermometer and the radiator coolant was 129F as was the base of the thermostat housing just above the temp sender, this while my temp gauge needle was exactly on the 130F mark. Now THAT'S an accurate gauge /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif So I figured my thermostat was stuck open, and removed the housing. Ah HAH the PO had left the thermostat out. Empty, nobody home /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif oh well, a quick call to a usual suspect and one of those sleeved stats is on its way /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 
Ooohh Velox, I'm impressed that you were out today! Such a blustery, cold day compared to our 87 degrees on Friday... I'm itching for colder weather so I can put the top (hood, for you purists) up and bask in the engine/transmission heat in my car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
HEY Wana /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif

Yes I felt a little brave out there in the windy chill but another goal was to see if my heater worked. I know a guy that went to turn his heater valve on at the cylinder head and it broke off ( /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif ) so I was especially careful in trying to get that valve open. Well it opened up and I actually got hot air out of my defrosters too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif although as you noted the Factory Heater Assembly is no match for the true Healey winter warmer - engine/trans pouring heat right into the cabin through whatever insulation was supposed to shield it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
Don't put too much faith in the accuracy of an infrared thermometer. Remember that they have not only calibration errors... their accuracy is also dependent on the emissivity of the surface you aim them at. Still, if you pointed your digital instrument at say the black header tank on the radiator and came up within 5 or so degrees F of the Smiths gauge... that would be remarkable. It sounds like your two gauges are certainly close to each other and are accurately describing what's going on in your cooling system.
 
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