engine running cold imo
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: boulogne buenos aires
engine running cold imo
My engine always runs in a quarter of the gauge in the middle between the 0 and the middle of the gauge..is that ok? I have the stock tstat for that engine and year ... but my radiator was rebuilt here with a new core addind more water passages than the original...I have the clutch fan.. you think I should get a new tsat with a higher rate? its a 73 sm l-82 manual
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
From: Enterprise Ut
Your t-stat should keep the engine at whatever its rated for(180?). I would suspect the guage. I would use a raytec or similar temp gun and see what the temp is on the thermostat housing, fully warmed up.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I'll bet on the gauge too- check it. You can get one of those infra-red thermometers or get a meat thermometer- Take the radiator cap off and stick the probe in the coolant. See how close that and the gauge are. Don't use the meat thermometer on anything you want to eat- antifreeze is NOT good for you.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
remove the radiator cap with the engine COLD then start it and let it arm up. No danger of getting burned that way. Better safe than sorry in this case.
CF Community Team
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 19,358
Likes: 5,242
From: Cape Cod, Mass.
2025 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C8 Z06/7/E-Ray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C8 of the Year Finalist Unmodified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C1 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2017 Corvette of the Year Finalist
2016 C2 of Year
2015 C3 of Year Finalist
My engine always runs in a quarter of the gauge in the middle between the 0 and the middle of the gauge..is that ok? I have the stock tstat for that engine and year ... but my radiator was rebuilt here with a new core addind more water passages than the original...I have the clutch fan.. you think I should get a new tsat with a higher rate? its a 73 sm l-82 manual
Assuming your gauge is the same or similar to my 68 BB, the far left is 100, then there is a line with no designation about 1/4 of the way over (that's 180) and the next line is 210 which is at about 12 o'clock.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 330
From: Indy Indiana
your gauge and your temperature sending unit have to be a mated pair, with no extra resistance built into the system. many times this is not the case.. I use it only to tell me if I am overheating.. other than that I don't trust what the gauge says. your only real way to measure how hot you are running is to measure the coolant temp itself..
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
"Middle" 1/4 line is 180 on mine top marked 200.