I have a stock 352 and the temperature gauge in the instrument panel always sits at the high end of the normal range shortly after starting the engine and doesn't move while driving in various traffic conditions. I'd prefer to leave the stock gauge and was thinking I might be able to check temperatures at critical spots on the engine with an infrared temperature gun to get a general idea if the engine is cooling properly. I should mention that I don't have any apparent overheating issues, but thought this might be a worthwhile check. Does anyone have any suggestions for locations to check and what kind of temperatures to expect for an engine that has been driven for a while and well warmed up? I could I guess buy a temperature gauge and install it for testing, but wondered if the infrared gun would give a reasonable indication. Thanks

 

The water outlet should be somewhere around 200. Fully warm.

 

Thank you, good to know. My son just came back from an "in town" drive to warm up the engine and we got 199 degrees at the water outlet.

 

Sounds perfect.

You might try a new temp sensor. They're only a few bucks at your local parts store.