EngineTemp

[55 Fargo]

I recall as a kid in the 50's watching my neighbor build his flathead ford stock car for circle tracks. He would weld a large washer into the goose necks (there are two on a flathead ford) to restrict the water flow. His theory was the water did not stay in the engine block long enough to absorbe the heat so he added these restrictors to reduce flow.

Anyone know which theory is correct?

Both...

[wallytoo]

Anyone know which theory is correct?

both, but from opposite sides of the spectrum, and a different question.

without a restriction, the water flows through the radiator too fast to be efficiently cooled, meaning there is still excess heat, which then reenters the block at a higher temperature, with less capacity to absorb heat. by the same token, by passing through the block rapidly, the water is unable to extract heat from the block efficiently, leaving the block temperature too high, and thereby absorbing less heat than it has the capacity to remove.

it's about contact time/surface area.

[chopt50wgn]

Any thermostat in most any car opens at the given set degree,that is 160/180 etc. They are full open at 15 degrees above the given set temp. So a 160 is full open at 175, 180 @ 195 etc.

[55 Fargo]

Hey all, it is a nice warm day here today:), not hot, but very pleasant, outside about 78 degrees, sunny with a gentle breeze.

Went for about an hour drive, both city and highway, probabley 30-35 miles worth.

Engine temp was 160 the whole time;), the gauge would rise up just past 160, but would go back to 160, while going against the wind it dropped to 155 a couple of times.

So the new t/stat is working much better than the old one.

I would imagine my engine temp would climb on super hot days, with hard driving, but it seems to be going good now.

I still have to sort out my fuel vapor issues, think my in-line steel jacketed fuel filter is to close the engine and exhaust manifold, creating issues....did not take any pics:(