engine temp at 210?
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2009
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engine temp at 210?
I finally broke down and put a ford 195 deg. thermostat in. The old one was a 180 deg. I noticed that the temp used to run between 195 and 210 with 1he 180 installed. sometimes up to 220 on very hot days. After i put in the 195 deg. i took a trip up the cajon pass and with or without the a/c on it held rock steady at 210. up the hills down always the same. to me i liked that better just want to make sure thats not to hot.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 973
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From: Texas
It would be nice to have some more specs of the truck to tell for sure. But with a 195 t-stat they will run from 198-210 normally. In the summer mine sits at 210 all the time. And on hot days with a heavy load in traffic it can get up to 220-230.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,821
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From: Fulton County, Pa.
Doubt 210° is too hot. Drive a school bus ( yes I know totally different vehicle ) & people are always on the radio. The shop repeatedly tells them 210° is normal. Yes this is a diesel & much larger vehicle, but I'd think the engine operating temperatures would be similar.
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,557
Likes: 44
From: Concord, NC
Hmm, my 192 degree thermostat runs coolant temps between 190 and maybe 195 on a hot day. I don't think it will hurt anything running at 210, but the coolant temp should be a little closer to the thermostat rating. I wouldn't go much above 210, though. What are you using for temperature gauge?
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,956
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From: MD
210 is fine...in fact, ideal. Stop worrying.
Not another damn thermostat myth.
It will run over 200 degrees regardless of which thermostat is installed. All a cooler 180 thermostat does is open at a lower temperature than a 195. It will still go over 200.
Not another damn thermostat myth.
It will run over 200 degrees regardless of which thermostat is installed. All a cooler 180 thermostat does is open at a lower temperature than a 195. It will still go over 200.
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Elder User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 973
Likes: 2
From: Texas
The engine temp depends on several things. Primary the T-stat rating. The t-stat starts opening at its rated temp, in this case 192 degrees. That means the engine will never run below 192 degrees. And the engine will run hotter and hotter as the engine produces more power, or the outside air temp rises. As the engine temp rises, the T-stat opens more and more to compensate.
I think a 192 t-stat is fully open around 215-220, thats when the fan kicks in to help cool the engine. And of course the bigger the radiator the slower the t-stat will open because it has more cooling capability.
I think a 192 t-stat is fully open around 215-220, thats when the fan kicks in to help cool the engine. And of course the bigger the radiator the slower the t-stat will open because it has more cooling capability.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,956
Likes: 10
From: MD
The engine temp depends on several things. Primary the T-stat rating. The t-stat starts opening at its rated temp, in this case 192 degrees. That means the engine will never run below 192 degrees. And the engine will run hotter and hotter as the engine produces more power, or the outside air temp rises. As the engine temp rises, the T-stat opens more and more to compensate.
I think a 192 t-stat is fully open around 215-220, thats when the fan kicks in to help cool the engine. And of course the bigger the radiator the slower the t-stat will open because it has more cooling capability.
I think a 192 t-stat is fully open around 215-220, thats when the fan kicks in to help cool the engine. And of course the bigger the radiator the slower the t-stat will open because it has more cooling capability.
What's inside a thermostat? WAX! What do they do when they get hot? MELT! No varying bull. It either melts or solidify.
The thermostat's job is to prevent the engine from running too cool. That's the only job it does.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 973
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From: Texas
The hell you smoking, man? You just made yourself look like a dumb cluck with that quack analogy.
What's inside a thermostat? WAX! What do they do when they get hot? MELT! No varying bull. It either melts or solidify.
The thermostat's job is to prevent the engine from running too cool. That's the only job it does.
What's inside a thermostat? WAX! What do they do when they get hot? MELT! No varying bull. It either melts or solidify.
The thermostat's job is to prevent the engine from running too cool. That's the only job it does.
Its the expansion of the melted wax that opens the t-stat. And the hotter something gets the more it expands. Therefor the more the t-stat opens.
If the t-stat was either fully open or fully closed then engines running temp would never stabilize and would be constantly going from well below operating temp, to the rated t-stat temp, then back down.
And i never used an analogy anywhere in my last post???
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,557
Likes: 44
From: Concord, NC
The rated temperature of the termostat should be the full-open temperature. The engine temperature will continue to rise until the heat rejected to air by the radiator equals the heat to coolant from the engine. The radiator should have enough capacity to cool the engine to below the thermostat temperature, especially on an unloaded truck. Thus the temperature should really be regulated to the thermostat rating. Obviously, if the heat to coolant from the engine increases, due to load, the temperature will rise above that point until the radiator can reject the same amount of heat to the air.
I had a 180 degree thermostat for a while and it would run pretty steady at 185-190. As I mentioned earlier, now I am running a 192 degree thermostat and it runs between 190 and 195 or so, hot, cold, towing a trailer, running 70 mph, doesn't matter.
I had a 180 degree thermostat for a while and it would run pretty steady at 185-190. As I mentioned earlier, now I am running a 192 degree thermostat and it runs between 190 and 195 or so, hot, cold, towing a trailer, running 70 mph, doesn't matter.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 973
Likes: 2
From: Texas
How are yall measuring temperature?
EPNCSU2006- i spent some time dissecting your post and im slightly confused by it. haha, but thats ok
The rated temp is the temp when the t-stat begins opening. You can see this if you place the t-stat in a pot with a thermometer and watch the temp rise. You will see that the t-stat beings opening slowly at 195 degrees and and continues opening as the temp of the water rises (it stops at 212 of course).
The cooling system of a trucks is all about heat transfer, thermodynamics. The t-stat is there to control that heat transfer.
Im running a 192 in my 300 and it sits at 198 in the winter and 205 in the summer under normal conditions. When i start towing the temp goes up to about 215 in the summer, and even higher when im in traffic with the a/c blowing.
EPNCSU2006- i spent some time dissecting your post and im slightly confused by it. haha, but thats ok
The rated temp is the temp when the t-stat begins opening. You can see this if you place the t-stat in a pot with a thermometer and watch the temp rise. You will see that the t-stat beings opening slowly at 195 degrees and and continues opening as the temp of the water rises (it stops at 212 of course).
The cooling system of a trucks is all about heat transfer, thermodynamics. The t-stat is there to control that heat transfer.
Im running a 192 in my 300 and it sits at 198 in the winter and 205 in the summer under normal conditions. When i start towing the temp goes up to about 215 in the summer, and even higher when im in traffic with the a/c blowing.
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,956
Likes: 10
From: MD
wow, to bad that wax melting doesn't have all that much to do with the t-stat opening.
Its the expansion of the melted wax that opens the t-stat. And the hotter something gets the more it expands. Therefor the more the t-stat opens.
If the t-stat was either fully open or fully closed then engines running temp would never stabilize and would be constantly going from well below operating temp, to the rated t-stat temp, then back down.
And i never used an analogy anywhere in my last post???
Its the expansion of the melted wax that opens the t-stat. And the hotter something gets the more it expands. Therefor the more the t-stat opens.
If the t-stat was either fully open or fully closed then engines running temp would never stabilize and would be constantly going from well below operating temp, to the rated t-stat temp, then back down.
And i never used an analogy anywhere in my last post???
NO! No more that crap of yours! Seriously, where did you get that mumbo jumbo??
Once the thermostat hits its point, the wax melts thus the thermostat pops open. That's it. No more. No less. IT'S EITHER OPEN OR CLOSED! Like I said before: The sole purpose of the thermostat is to prevent the engine from running too cool.WRONG. Once the thermostat hits its point, the temperature is ENTIRELY up to the radiator. A THERMOSTAT DOES NOT, AND I REPEAT, DOES NOT REGULATE ENGINE TEMPERATURE! THE RADIATOR DOES! Engine produces hot water, radiator cools the hot water down, reintroduces cool water to water pump, pumps into the hot engine. That's cooling.
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 630
Likes: 4
From: Northeast
Uh, what? Yes, it does. What's inside a thermostat? A wax pellet.
NO! No more that crap of yours! Seriously, where did you get that mumbo jumbo?? Once the thermostat hits its point, the wax melts thus the thermostat pops open. That's it. No more. No less. IT'S EITHER OPEN OR CLOSED! Like I said before: The sole purpose of the thermostat is to prevent the engine from running too cool.
WRONG. Once the thermostat hits its point, the temperature is ENTIRELY up to the radiator. A THERMOSTAT DOES NOT, AND I REPEAT, DOES NOT REGULATE ENGINE TEMPERATURE! THE RADIATOR DOES! Engine produces hot water, radiator cools the hot water down, reintroduces cool water to water pump, pumps into the hot engine. That's cooling.
NO! No more that crap of yours! Seriously, where did you get that mumbo jumbo??
Once the thermostat hits its point, the wax melts thus the thermostat pops open. That's it. No more. No less. IT'S EITHER OPEN OR CLOSED! Like I said before: The sole purpose of the thermostat is to prevent the engine from running too cool.WRONG. Once the thermostat hits its point, the temperature is ENTIRELY up to the radiator. A THERMOSTAT DOES NOT, AND I REPEAT, DOES NOT REGULATE ENGINE TEMPERATURE! THE RADIATOR DOES! Engine produces hot water, radiator cools the hot water down, reintroduces cool water to water pump, pumps into the hot engine. That's cooling.
From Wikipedia:
Wax pellet
Main article: Wax thermostatic element
Car engine thermostat
A thermostat is used in internal combustion engines to maintain the engine at its optimum operating temperature by regulating the flow of coolant to an external heat sink, usually an air cooled radiator.
This type of thermostat operates mechanically. It makes use of a wax pellet inside a sealed chamber. The wax is solid at low temperatures but as the engine heats up the wax melts and expands. The sealed chamber has an expansion provision that operates a rod which opens a valve when the operating temperature is exceeded. The operating temperature is fixed, but is determined by the specific composition of the wax, so thermostats of this type are available to maintain different temperatures, typically in the range of 70 to 90°C (160 to 200°F). Modern engines run hot, that is, over 80°C (180°F), in order to run more efficiently and to reduce the emission of pollutants. Most thermostats have a small bypass hole to vent any gas that might get into the system, e.g., air introduced during coolant replacement, which also allows a small flow of coolant past the thermostat when it is closed. This bypass flow ensures that the thermostat experiences the temperature change in the coolant as the engine heats up; without it a stagnant region of coolant around the thermostat could shield it from temperature changes in the coolant adjacent to the combustion chambers and cylinder bores.
While the thermostat is closed, the flow of coolant in the loop is greatly slowed, allowing coolant surrounding the combustion chambers to warm up rapidly. The thermostat stays closed until the coolant temperature reaches the nominal thermostat opening temperature. The thermostat then progressively opens as the coolant temperature increases to the optimum operating temperature, increasing the coolant flow to the radiator. Once the optimum operating temperature is reached, the thermostat progressively increases or decreases its opening in response to temperature changes, dynamically balancing the coolant recirculation flow and coolant flow to the radiator to maintain the engine temperature in the optimum range as engine heat output, vehicle speed, and outside ambient temperature change. If the load on the engine increases, increasing the heat input to the cooling system, or the vehicle speed decreases or air temperature increases, decreasing the radiator heat output, the thermostat will open further to increase the flow of coolant to the radiator, preventing the engine from overheating. If the conditions reverse, the thermostat will reduce its opening to maintain the coolant temperature.
Under normal operating conditions the thermostat is open to about half of its stroke travel, so that it can open further or reduce its opening to react to changes in operating conditions. A correctly designed thermostat will never be fully open or fully closed while the engine is operating normally, or overheating or overcooling would occur. For instance,
* If more cooling is required, e.g., in response to an increase in engine heat output which causes the coolant temperature to rise, the thermostat will increase its opening to allow more coolant to flow through the radiator and increase engine cooling. If the thermostat were already fully open, then it would not be able to increase the flow of coolant to the radiator, hence there would be no more cooling capacity available, and the increase in heat output by the engine would result in overheating.
* If less cooling is required, e.g., in response to decrease in ambient temperature which causes the coolant temperature to fall, the thermostat will decrease its opening to restrict the coolant flow through the radiator and reduce engine cooling. If the thermostat were already fully closed, then it would not be able to reduce cooling in response to the fall in coolant temperature, and the engine temperature would fall below the optimum operating range.
Modern cooling systems contain a relief valve in the form of a spring-loaded radiator pressure cap, with a tube leading to a partially filled expansion reservoir. Owing to the high temperature, the cooling system will become pressurized to a maximum set by the relief valve. The additional pressure increases the boiling point of the coolant above that which it would be at atmospheric pressure.
The wax product used within the thermostat requires a specific process to produce. Unlike a standard paraffin wax, which has a relatively wide range of carbon chain lengths, a wax used in the thermostat application has a very narrow range of carbon molecule chains. The extent of the chains is usually determined by the melting characteristics demanded by the specific end application. To manufacture a product in this manner requires very precise levels of distillation, which is difficult or impossible for most wax refineries.
Main article: Wax thermostatic element
Car engine thermostat
A thermostat is used in internal combustion engines to maintain the engine at its optimum operating temperature by regulating the flow of coolant to an external heat sink, usually an air cooled radiator.
This type of thermostat operates mechanically. It makes use of a wax pellet inside a sealed chamber. The wax is solid at low temperatures but as the engine heats up the wax melts and expands. The sealed chamber has an expansion provision that operates a rod which opens a valve when the operating temperature is exceeded. The operating temperature is fixed, but is determined by the specific composition of the wax, so thermostats of this type are available to maintain different temperatures, typically in the range of 70 to 90°C (160 to 200°F). Modern engines run hot, that is, over 80°C (180°F), in order to run more efficiently and to reduce the emission of pollutants. Most thermostats have a small bypass hole to vent any gas that might get into the system, e.g., air introduced during coolant replacement, which also allows a small flow of coolant past the thermostat when it is closed. This bypass flow ensures that the thermostat experiences the temperature change in the coolant as the engine heats up; without it a stagnant region of coolant around the thermostat could shield it from temperature changes in the coolant adjacent to the combustion chambers and cylinder bores.
While the thermostat is closed, the flow of coolant in the loop is greatly slowed, allowing coolant surrounding the combustion chambers to warm up rapidly. The thermostat stays closed until the coolant temperature reaches the nominal thermostat opening temperature. The thermostat then progressively opens as the coolant temperature increases to the optimum operating temperature, increasing the coolant flow to the radiator. Once the optimum operating temperature is reached, the thermostat progressively increases or decreases its opening in response to temperature changes, dynamically balancing the coolant recirculation flow and coolant flow to the radiator to maintain the engine temperature in the optimum range as engine heat output, vehicle speed, and outside ambient temperature change. If the load on the engine increases, increasing the heat input to the cooling system, or the vehicle speed decreases or air temperature increases, decreasing the radiator heat output, the thermostat will open further to increase the flow of coolant to the radiator, preventing the engine from overheating. If the conditions reverse, the thermostat will reduce its opening to maintain the coolant temperature.
Under normal operating conditions the thermostat is open to about half of its stroke travel, so that it can open further or reduce its opening to react to changes in operating conditions. A correctly designed thermostat will never be fully open or fully closed while the engine is operating normally, or overheating or overcooling would occur. For instance,
* If more cooling is required, e.g., in response to an increase in engine heat output which causes the coolant temperature to rise, the thermostat will increase its opening to allow more coolant to flow through the radiator and increase engine cooling. If the thermostat were already fully open, then it would not be able to increase the flow of coolant to the radiator, hence there would be no more cooling capacity available, and the increase in heat output by the engine would result in overheating.
* If less cooling is required, e.g., in response to decrease in ambient temperature which causes the coolant temperature to fall, the thermostat will decrease its opening to restrict the coolant flow through the radiator and reduce engine cooling. If the thermostat were already fully closed, then it would not be able to reduce cooling in response to the fall in coolant temperature, and the engine temperature would fall below the optimum operating range.
Modern cooling systems contain a relief valve in the form of a spring-loaded radiator pressure cap, with a tube leading to a partially filled expansion reservoir. Owing to the high temperature, the cooling system will become pressurized to a maximum set by the relief valve. The additional pressure increases the boiling point of the coolant above that which it would be at atmospheric pressure.
The wax product used within the thermostat requires a specific process to produce. Unlike a standard paraffin wax, which has a relatively wide range of carbon chain lengths, a wax used in the thermostat application has a very narrow range of carbon molecule chains. The extent of the chains is usually determined by the melting characteristics demanded by the specific end application. To manufacture a product in this manner requires very precise levels of distillation, which is difficult or impossible for most wax refineries.
