right water temperature?

[chapelfarmer]

Can anyone tell me the danger point for water temperature? We're having unusually warm weather here in England (yes really!) and my BN4 with a Stage 2 BJ8 engine (newly built and 185bhp) and standard rad plus oil cooler and metal 6 blade fan is running at about 200 degrees on the motorway (freeway). in normal weather it runs at about 190. should I worry? start buying new expensive bits for it? what do you hot-country people think? many thanks!

 

[Michael Oritt]

should I worry? start buying new expensive bits for it? what do you hot-country people think? many thanks!

When it gets really hot I simply put a piece of duct tape over the safety guage. Out of sight,out of mind!

 

[Randy Forbes]

Well, it should stay at the opening point of the thermostat.

Two hundred degrees (200*) shouldn't hurt anything, but you'll notice the power drop off as it approaches 230*

I've seen engines get so hot (and blow the head-gasket) that when you tear them down, the piston rings are actually malleable!

If you can't swing a better efficiency radiator, you'd better get some duct tape on that gauge!

This just in: sprayable duct tape, in a can! Pictures at 11:00...

 

[Randy Forbes]

https://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-10519-interdynamics-190-dt.aspx

No British car owner should be without it!

 

[GregW]

Ooooooooo. My grandmother would have loved that stuff Randy. She always said "If you can't fix it with duct tape, it wasn't worth fixin'" She was an LBC owner too.

 

[anthony7777]

Ooooooooo. My grandmother would have loved that stuff Randy. She always said "If you can't fix it with duct tape, it wasn't worth fixin'" She was an LBC owner too.

ahhh..so your enchantment with lbc's is genetic?...

 

[Michael Oritt]

Well I know we have totally hijacked this guy's thread, but check out "Rescue Tape" (https://www.rescuetape.com/)if you have not already done so. It is to duct tape what an AK-47 is to a flintlock.

I first picked some up at a boat show several years ago and used it in some tough marine applications: wrapping hi-temp/pressure copper pipes with pinhole leaks, etc. I also wrapped the tail of an eye-splice on an anchor chain and despite being underwater or in the sun for extended periods of time the tape and bond did not deteriorate.

CHAPELFARMER--as to your original question, before doing anything get an infra-red temperature gun and first verify that the temps indicated are in fact accurate. Even if your temperature should go to or above boiling while you are driving do not despair as the combination of pressurization in your cooling system and the coolant itself raises your actual boiling point to about 230 degrees, about where the instrument pegs out. It is more important to get the temperature down at or below boiling before shutting down and thhis is why I have an auxiliary pusher fan that is wired hot all the time (as opposed to switched by the ignition) so that I can leave it running after shutting down the car.

 

[tahoe healey]

Add some "Water Wetter". It knocked by temps down 15 degrees or more. You may also check your timing. Advance it 'till you first get a ping the back off a couple of degrees. (As instructed by Jeff at Advanced distributors)
When we went to the Eugene Rendezvous a couple of weeks ago the temps in Redding, CA were 106 degrees and the engine got to 200 but only for a few minutes. I got home and checked with my infra-red and it was spot on. The infra-red meters are as cheap as $30 US. (Harbor Freight and check it on boiling water to see if it is accurate) You aim it at the thermostat housing and check other spots on the hoses and engine for fun.

 

[Ed_K]

Before I had a modern, high efficiency radiator core installed,
Mine would indicate up to 210' when the air temp was above 95' F and I was cruising above 70 MPH on the interstate.

It never boiled over using the standard 7lb radiator cap.

Ed

 

[Randy Forbes]

Add some "Water Wetter". It knocked by temps down 15 degrees or more. You may also check your timing. Advance it 'till you first get a ping the back off a couple of degrees. (As instructed by Jeff at Advanced distributors)
When we went to the Eugene Rendezvous a couple of weeks ago the temps in Redding, CA were 106 degrees and the engine got to 200 but only for a few minutes. I got home and checked with my infra-red and it was spot on. The infra-red meters are as cheap as $30 US. (Harbor Freight and check it on boiling water to see if it is accurate) <span style="font-weight: bold">You aim it at the thermostat housing and check other spots on the hoses and engine for fun. </span>

You can also pin-point any blockages in your radiator.

An I/R temperature gun is a very useful diagnostics tool, and it saved many a day when I was still doing plant maintenance work.

 

[chapelfarmer]

thanks everyone! Have fitted a nifty new fan blade from Denis Welch - also available at Ahead 4 Healeys I think. It's a modded BMW item I believe, very interesting shape with oddly spaced and sized blades. seems to drop the temp by a good 10 degrees. that's good enough for me. doubtless it will soon be raining and grey here again anyway. John