Coolant level in block

[Joe Flanagan]

It has been suggested to me that the reason my store-bought temporary temperature gauge isn't working is because I might not have enough water in my block. I checked the radiator and the water is about two inches below the lip at the opening, which is well above the height of the head of the engine. Does it stand to reason that if the water is this high in my radiator, the block must be full or is there something else I need to check here.

I know I can always pull the gauge and try it in some boiling water but I was wondering about the water level scenario.

[55 Fargo]

Joe, did you use a t/stat, is your heater core hooked up too.

You many have an air lock, if the rad is full to the top, with coolant, and you ran the engine long enough for the t/stat to open, and the block is warm and the system is full, you should geta reading.

Maybe the gauge is non-functioning, if you want to test it, dump the sender bulb into a container of hot water, and verify the temp of the water at the same time, with a an infared laser temp gun.....Fred

[Merle Coggins]

Logic would say that your engine would be full of coolant if the radiator is full. And if you've run the engine up to operating temp there shouldn't be any air bound in the system. So, how is the temp bulb plumbed into the head? Does the bulb protrude into the head or did you have to add a couple of adapters so that it's now not in the coolant flow. This could effect it's accuracy. Also, I will assume (even though it's never good to assume) that the capilary tube is not kinked anywhere between the bulb and the gauge. If so than the only way to test that the gauge is functioning properly would be to pull it back out and put the bulb in boiling water.

Merle

[Joe Flanagan]

I have a thermostat but the heater core is not hooked up. I had to use one adaptor to get the bulb to fit the tapped hole in the side of the head. It looked like the bulb was longer than the original but I don't see how that would make a difference. If the bulb is not in the flow of coolant, where is it? Also, there are no kinks or breaks in the capillary tube. I've been very careful with it. Looks like the only thing to do is remove it and test it in boiling water.

By the way, last weekend I looked at Home Depot for one of those laser temp sensors and just got the mystified expression. Any ideas what other kinds of places might carry those?

[55 Fargo]

I have a thermostat but the heater core is not hooked up. I had to use one adaptor to get the bulb to fit the tapped hole in the side of the head. It looked like the bulb was longer than the original but I don't see how that would make a difference. If the bulb is not in the flow of coolant, where is it? Also, there are no kinks or breaks in the capillary tube. I've been very careful with it. Looks like the only thing to do is remove it and test it in boiling water.

By the way, last weekend I looked at Home Depot for one of those laser temp sensors and just got the mystified expression. Any ideas what other kinds of places might carry those?

Harbour Freight, JC Whiteney, Kmart, Wal Mart, Lowes, try those places, even Oreillys, or NAPA

[Merle Coggins]

Check with Napa for an infrared temp gun. They probably can get one for you. But you could also use a candy thermometer, if your wife has one, to compare the water temp to the gauge reading.

Or you could also get one from ToolTopia.com

Merle

[Joe Flanagan]

ToolTopia?!?!? Where have I been?

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Alshere59]

Home depot has them listed ask for a IR non contact thermometer.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100674438/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Edited March 15, 2011 by Alshere59

[Joe Flanagan]

Thanks. I will check that out.

[Don Coatney]

The point and shoot thermometer has its place but I am not sure how accurate it will be testing water temperature. I say this based on the fact that I bought one to test the temperature of bread dough coming out of an industrial mixer in a 2000 pound wad. Shooting the surface of this wad it was "off" by around 20% compared to a stick in the wad thermometer.

[Alshere59]

Well links broke but put in IR thermometer in the search box. Agreed nothing like a contact thermometer. IR has its uses as well though. Mine is pretty accurate on engine temps.

Edited March 15, 2011 by Alshere59

[55 Fargo]

The point and shoot thermometer has its place but I am not sure how accurate it will be testing water temperature. I say this based on the fact that I bought one to test the temperature of bread dough coming out of an industrial mixer in a 2000 pound wad. Shooting the surface of this wad it was "off" by around 20% compared to a stick in the wad thermometer.

My infared is very accurate, and have compared to contact thermometer, and get very close readings.

I am not saying the infared can not be out a few degrees, but so far, it is very close to my contact thermometer on various tests.

[randroid]

Joe,

You could bleed the head like a brake cylinder to check for an air bubble. Can you crack the plug in the heater line on the head?

-Randy

[Alshere59]

If I remember right you ran it for 25 minutes. Even if you had a bubble the fittings holding into the block should have put enough heat into the guage to register something. Bad guage is what it sounds like.

[Joe Flanagan]

Correct. I ran it for 25 minutes. After re-torquing the head bolts, the socket I used was hot. The gauge should have registered something. It barely moved off the peg. What is really strange is that's exactly what the actual gauge from the dash had done. It's coming out tomorrow and I'll check it in boiling water.

[RobertKB]

Don, that does not look like bread dough!

The point and shoot thermometer has its place but I am not sure how accurate it will be testing water temperature. I say this based on the fact that I bought one to test the temperature of bread dough coming out of an industrial mixer in a 2000 pound wad. Shooting the surface of this wad it was "off" by around 20% compared to a stick in the wad thermometer.

[Jim Saraceno]

I you ran your engine for 25 minutes without water in the head, I'd think you'd have had a meltdown.

[Jim Saraceno]

The point and shoot thermometer has its place but I am not sure how accurate it will be testing water temperature.

I had the same experience. I bought one of those infrared temperature sensors and the readings varied wildly depending on what I was shooting.

The head that is painted silver reads much lower than the block that is black.

I tried pointing it in a pot of boiling water and the temp was way off with the silver outside being much lower than the Teflon inside which was lower than the 212 you would expect.

I don't have much confidence in the accuracy of this thing.

[Alshere59]

Correct. I ran it for 25 minutes. After re-torquing the head bolts, the socket I used was hot. The gauge should have registered something. It barely moved off the peg. What is really strange is that's exactly what the actual gauge from the dash had done. It's coming out tomorrow and I'll check it in boiling water.

So now the question is when re-torquing the head after starting I thought you let it cool first? Now I'm confused..

Well with it out is a good time to see if its shrouded some how. Basically a good path for the coolant to your temp sensor.

Edited March 16, 2011 by Alshere59

[55 Fargo]

I had the same experience. I bought one of those infrared temperature sensors and the readings varied wildly depending on what I was shooting.

The head that is painted silver reads much lower than the block that is black.

I tried pointing it in a pot of boiling water and the temp was way off with the silver outside being much lower than the Teflon inside which was lower than the 212 you would expect.

I don't have much confidence in the accuracy of this thing.

I dunno Jim, with my infared tester, I point at the temp gauge bulb sensor, get the same temp as on gauge, the coolant in top of rad is the same as the thermometer I used in there too.

The head and block showed some variation, which I was expecting, the exhaust manifolds were much hotter, and in the 400 degree range on a cold day after running a while.

I have verified my gun outdoors against wall thermometers, again very accurate.

Boiling water in a pot show 212.

I guess I got lucky and my laser temp works well.

The bottom line is Joe has no reading from his sender and aftermarket gauge, so if he is using the laser or meat thermometer, he can see what temps he is running at the rad, and along the head and block.....

[Jim Saraceno]

I dunno Jim, with my infared tester, I point at the temp gauge bulb sensor, get the same temp as on gauge, the coolant in top of rad is the same as the thermometer I used in there too.

The head and block showed some variation, which I was expecting, the exhaust manifolds were much hotter, and in the 400 degree range on a cold day after running a while.

I have verified my gun outdoors against wall thermometers, again very accurate.

Boiling water in a pot show 212.

I guess I got lucky and my laser temp works well.

The bottom line is Joe has no reading from his sender and aftermarket gauge, so if he is using the laser or meat thermometer, he can see what temps he is running at the rad, and along the head and block.....

Maybe it's because I have a cheap Harbor Freight sensor.

You're absolutely right about it being a great tool for Joe's situation. Even though I don't think I'm getting terribly accurate readings, it helps me find hot spots in the cooling system and that was the main reason I got one.

[55 Fargo]

Maybe it's because I have a cheap Harbor Freight sensor.

You're absolutely right about it being a great tool for Joe's situation. Even though I don't think I'm getting terribly accurate readings, it helps me find hot spots in the cooling system and that was the main reason I got one.

Hi Jim, just ran a few more tests with mine( C made), so accuracy and quality control will vary and not be guaranteed.

Now mine is out slightly reading higher, when compared to a number of thermometers.

I had mine in a cold garage, and maybe the battery is suspect, but it is reading a couple of degrees higher, than it should

[Don Coatney]

Don, that does not look like bread dough!

Follow this link to see a 2000 pound wad of bread dough ejected from a mixer.

[Don Coatney]

Even though I don't think I'm getting terribly accurate readings, it helps me find hot spots in the cooling system and that was the main reason I got one.

Instant temperature differential readings. That is the beauty of this tool.

[greg g]

Unlike modern vehicles which have in many cases the radiator mounted eve with or even below the top of the engine, our cars are not very suseptable to trapped air in the coolant chambers. If the coolant is covering core of the radiator, the engine must by fluid dynamics laws be full.

When I worked in the food industry, we needed to check termometer accuracy and log the results on a weekly basis. The standard procedure was to fill a container with ice and add water to fill. Thremometer needs to read 32 degress when imersed in the water or when shooting the water's surface. If off they were adjusted. We had some early version of the infra red deals and they were notoriously incorrect. they had a card in the case withthe varience noted and readings were supposed to be corrected by the operator.