Carb spacers
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 124
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From: Mississippi
I live in North-East Mississippi and in the winters the average is around 35-20 deg. F, sometimes in the teens and single digits. Our cold days\nights of winter doesn't last as long of a season as probably some of you. Now our summers can be real hot and humid.(85-105 deg with 85-100 % humidity) Just to let you know. I hope you have a great Christmas!!!!!!!! zrxlover
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 511
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I live in North-East Mississippi and in the winters the average is around 35-20 deg. F, sometimes in the teens and single digits. Our cold days\nights of winter doesn't last as long of a season as probably some of you. Now our summers can be real hot and humid.(85-105 deg with 85-100 % humidity) Just to let you know. I hope you have a great Christmas!!!!!!!! zrxlover
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 960
Likes: 10
From: Victoria (North Saanich)
Low of -24 here for the last week, highs of -16. Balmy 28 right now.
Didn't try to start the old girl for the last few days. I'll let her hibernate until it gets above freezing tomorrow.
Didn't try to start the old girl for the last few days. I'll let her hibernate until it gets above freezing tomorrow.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 124
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From: Mississippi
Wherever Calgary is ,I don't won't to be in the winter!! I don't think I could handle that kind of weather? Nothing against you but, that is toooooooo cold for me!!!! Where is Calgary, North Pole wear the elves live ha,ha,?
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 960
Likes: 10
From: Victoria (North Saanich)
Due north of Montana. It was colder in Edmonton (due north of Calgary) - minus 45 last week.
I handle it by loading my wife and dogs in a stupidly large motorhome and heading south for January through April. It should NOT be this cold this early, but mother nature has ways of playing tricks on us.
I do have to fire up the F100 tonight to go get a Christmas tree, but it is above freezing this week.
I handle it by loading my wife and dogs in a stupidly large motorhome and heading south for January through April. It should NOT be this cold this early, but mother nature has ways of playing tricks on us.
I do have to fire up the F100 tonight to go get a Christmas tree, but it is above freezing this week.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 8,261
Likes: 15
From: Big Sky Country
Most of the referance to spacers concerns heat insulation but what about the other benefits with carb spacers? Up here in WA any carbed truck would have trouble with out adding heat. Not saying that some don't with success (so I don't get ripped LOL). Just saying there is a lot more to the issue. Also there are good performance considerations.
Many Ford engines used a carburetor heater plate. Carburetor heater is not exactly a description of this parts full function. It cools the carburetor more than heats it.
The carburetor heater plate has engine temperature coolant flowing through its hollow body. Hot coolant from the intake water passage near the thermostat housing is directed through the heater plate to the heater core then returned to the water pump return fitting. Many of you have removed this plate thinking that by removing the 190* coolant from the carburetor base it will perform better. The truth is that the 190* is quit cool compared to 350* intake manifold temperatures. You can see that the carburetor heater plate has an important function in cooling also. Visualize the exhaust cross over passage running through the intake manifold directly under the carburetor. Even after the heat riser in the exhaust system has opened super hot gases of many hundred of degrees are heating the intake, conducting this heat to the carburetor body. If you doubt the amount of heat present, look at the original 428 PI intakes, in most every case the bottoms are burnt through or has had a weld repair. High heat and fuel in the carburetor do not coexist well, fuel percolates flooding over into the manifold, causing hard starting and poor performance. The carburetor heater plate has a real function on street engines.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
Due north of Montana. It was colder in Edmonton (due north of Calgary) - minus 45 last week.
I handle it by loading my wife and dogs in a stupidly large motorhome and heading south for January through April. It should NOT be this cold this early, but mother nature has ways of playing tricks on us.
I do have to fire up the F100 tonight to go get a Christmas tree, but it is above freezing this week.
I handle it by loading my wife and dogs in a stupidly large motorhome and heading south for January through April. It should NOT be this cold this early, but mother nature has ways of playing tricks on us.
I do have to fire up the F100 tonight to go get a Christmas tree, but it is above freezing this week.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
Likes: 422
From: Long Island USA
With that statement you made about how unseasonable cold it is right now, WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHTS ON GLOBAL WARMING.(HA,HA) I laugh at some educated theorist!!!!!!!!! If you watch your local weather channels and look at the record highs\lows per year, a lot of those records were set years ago? Sorry for not staying on the issue but ,I couldn't resist. zrxlover
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 511
Likes: 1
kennewick, oil just doesn't build sludge from running a low engine temp. I disagree, poor quality oils produce sludge. I didn't know Castrol, Mobil, Shell, Pennzoil, Royal Purple, etc. even suggest a temperature range of engines to keep sludge from forming? Oil break down produces sludge. You run what you are comfortable with. Just my two cents, zrxlover. I have no driveability issues, pulled many valve covers off using quality oils and no sludge. Mileage, plugs look like I just put them in about six months ago, a little carbon,white to light tan insulators but plug chart says normal. Do you know what octane is? It is just a anti-knock index. the lower the temp and pressure the lower octane you need to fully burn gas.You can use higher compression pistons and lower engine temp and use a lower octane gas. The more temp( operating temp) and pressure in the cylinder, you will need a higher octane gas to stop pre-ignition. you want to run the lowest octane allowable without detonation or pre-ignition for complete combustion.
My only point is that Ford considers 180 to 195 a warm engine with the FE. Not racing conditions, driving to the store conditions. As stated I am only commenting on less than operating conditions.
Here is a tid bit: CarInspector.us - Vehicle Inspections, Dealer Services, Warranty Inspections
Here is a short version:
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Elder User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 511
Likes: 1
Kennewick, 190 deg. F less wear on cylinders, I may be confused with wear verses performance? I run my 390 with a 160 deg. F thermostat. It will defrost the windows but, I may still wear my jacket in the winter. In the Summer time I ran it at 90 mph for five miles and it was around 180 deg.F. As soon as I slowed down, the temp. gradually fell off to around 165-170 deg F..The optimum temp to run is around 170 to 180 deg. F. Every 10 degrees F. lower than 170 deg. F it is like adding 1 octane to your gas. Just my opinion and what I have learned. I have heard debates on higher operating temps verses lower operating temps., goes both ways.I have seen charts on both sides.I know for performance cooler is better, eg, Aluminum metals used, inter coolers on turbos,oil coolers, trans coolers, cold air air intakes, cowl hood scoops, etc.Everything that I have mention is to lower engine temperatures.Modern vehicles run higher engine temps only for emission regulations, keeping oil vapor and other gas vapor going into the intake system to be burned again or evaporated before it exits the exhaust.In the winter I can let my 390 run from a cold start up for 15 minutes and it may be at 160 deg. F. Now the oil pressure after 15 minutes is at 20 psig. so I know the oil is at operating temp. instead of 65 psig. cold start up.So could you explain this 190 deg. F. to me. I might like a 190 deg.F thermostat in the winter for driving to work. Only for the heating purpose of the engine temp.(heater only).You may be having start up problems because of the 190 deg.F operating temp.. What do you think your engine temp. does when you shut the motor off after reaching say 190 deg.F? Do I hear say 200-210 deg. F now, VAPOR LOCK, boiling gas, etc. Here is some data to look at:BOILING POINT/85 DEG.F, 29.4 DEG C FLASH POINT/ -50 DEG F, BOILING RANGE FROM 32-210 DEG C, VAPOR PRESSURE 304-684 mmG @ 37.8 DEG. C,LOWER FLAMMABLE LIMITS 1.496 BY VOLUME; UPPER FLAMMABLE LIMIT 7.8% BY VOLUME/ 56-60 OCTANE, 92 OCTANE, 100 OCTANE. Do you see that the boiling point is 85 deg. F? Flash point is -50 deg. F.? Pressure of the gas in fuel lines, fuel injectors, fuel pumps, decrease these numbers considerably. Think of it like the concept of a pressure cooker. Just something to chew on, zrxlover. I don't think you are flooding, you may have to flood it to push all the vapor out of it because of the heat in the carb and fuel lines has vaporized.Ask the manufactor if a spacer is needed, some are designed for spacers and some are not. I perfer asking a engineer who designed the intake rather than guess. Spacers do more than cool incoming gases. Sometimes it changes the rpm range of intake, depending on the deck height of the intake and how tall the spacer is. Check clearance issues and manufacturers suggestions first. And kennewich I was not attacking you, I know you said that was just your opinion. I was only trying to give some technical information to all who are interested, zrxlover.
Allow Proper Engine Warm-ups -- Avoid fast driving on a cold engine to help reduce engine wear. Oil flow in a cold engine is restricted; drive slow until the engine reaches normal operating temperature, at which point engine oil flow is maximized. Doing this will reduce engine friction and wear and lead to a longer-lasting engine.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
Kennewick thanks for your explanation of the other side affects of running a low engine temp and the chemical properties that are formed and the 180-195 deg F Ford spec of the FE engine temp..I may raise my thermostat up to see if you are right, it only has two bolts. Tell you what, a friend of mine that I work with has a Doctorates degree in chemical and mechanical engineering. He should be able to figure this out for me if he has time, I'll let you know what he says? Another question I have is that say 10w40: 10 is thinnest W- stands for winter and 40 is the thickest at operating temp.If that is right a cold motors oil is thinnest at start up and thickens as it warms up?I'll have to check into this some more,now I'm confused!!!! Thanks for your explanation and I will have to do some more research to figure this out.Another thing that has me puzzled is that high quality oil manufacturers talk a lot about viscosity and thermo break down( heat) .If you find something out let me know or I will get back with you on what I find, thanks,zrx...
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 511
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Its 40 weight with the addition of friction modifiers. Do a google there are at least 10 million (my bs) hits for motor oil explanations. I have 12 motorcycles and this is one of those "off come the gloves subjects" with bikers. I will say this the less differance between the base and w weight the better the oil is concerning deposits 40-10 = 30 as opposed to say 5/30 30-5=25. It also provide the least wear at start up. I use 5 30 synth in most my bikes. I use the same but dino cause I change the FE/Altima/Passat often. I also get 20 psi (truck) oil pressure at idle or I would move up in the w weight If that started to drop. In the summer you could move to a 40 base and 15w. I also use the oil additive from Schucks called Oreily at change because it has a high ZDP content and it's the cheapest I have found. STP 4 cylinder additive also has a high content. (red bottle)
PS Basicly most think 10/40 is for emergencies only. I do too. Where you live I would go with 180* It's cheap and if you don't like it you could just go back. Been a rash of bad t/stats right off the shelf.
PS Basicly most think 10/40 is for emergencies only. I do too. Where you live I would go with 180* It's cheap and if you don't like it you could just go back. Been a rash of bad t/stats right off the shelf.