Not Ranked
Engine temp. is a double edge sword. On one hand an engine operating at 140-160 wears out twice as fast as one operating at 190. The other side is detonation occurs faster as cylinder head temps increase. Almost 50% faster at 200 than at 180 degrees. This is only important as compression reaches 11:1 or more. At 12:1 a 190 degree engine will detonate at 38 degrees btc. This applies to cast iron heads, aluminum heads take more heat and resist detonation far better.
Many engines need 190 degrees to run well, my 428 needed 185 to run well. This 427 seems happy at 180-185. I shot for 180 because it is the safest as far as detonation, but still allows for a pretty clean running engine. As mentioned with the new fan I installed a 195 thermostat. I don't want it to run cooler than 180, I just want the fan on before it hits 180. But I live in a climate that will get 105+ in the summer and easily range from 80-95 degrees 6 months out of the year.
All cars run more efficiently and cleaner the warmer they run to a point. Clean Air standards adopted in the late 60's were the reason most manufacturers went to a 195 degree thermostat in the late 60's before that it was 160-180.
I run dual Holley 660's.
__________________
michael
A man that is young in years, may be old in hours, if he have lost no time. But that happeneth rarely. Generally, youth is like the first cogitations, not so wise as the second. For there is a youth in thoughts, as well as in ages... Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
|