Gauge Temp Limits?
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Gauge Temp Limits?
I am getting ready to order either a water temp gauge or oil temp gauge but don`t know which one yet. What are the dangerous temp limits for engine oil and water temp in deg F? Any help would be appreciated.
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Bump for you Lee 
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I don`t trust the stock ford water temp gauge at all so I would like to know what is safe and what temp should i start getting concerned enough to back off the throttle , especially on some of the hills towing my trailer to arizona, utah and nevada. Last year the gauge started to climb a little bit so i backed out of it some. It was around 115 outside and I was pushing my truck pretty hard towing my 30ft Raptor up the pass between Vegas and St George UT.
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Well it depends on your thermostat for one thing as far as water temp goes. The newer thermostats are 203* units because the 7.3 works more efficiently when hot. I would think that anything above 215 is pushing it though. Straight water boils at 212 degrees, with coolant added, it goes up to 223 degrees with a 50/50 mix not counting pressure. Being under pressure raises the boiling point some more, but I wouldn't let it get any higher that 220 degrees.
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Thanks everyone, that sounds like a good starting point. I am using the stock thermostat and will be sticking with that. I know our engines were made to run better at a little higher temp but I would think that the higher temps would be harder on all the rubber items like seals and hoses, etc... I will use 215 as a cautionary reference temp and 220 as the back off point. If anyone else has some hard data for this it would be great also. I decided to go with the water temp gauge and got it from Clay so should be there when I get home the middle of May.
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