Any input on what the running temp while the car is standing still should be on a 8ba flathead. I just started mine for the first time and its running pretty hot 215-220. Im running speedway water pumps, a new walker radiator, it has original fenton heads on it. I have both temp senders linked together then going to my temp gauge. im using 30 weight oil to break the engine in. and a mechanical fan. motor sounds amazing and runs like a top, just getting high readings on my gauge Any ne have any ideas for why it could be running so hot? could i not be getting an accurate reading since the gauges are linked together? any input would be helpful!!!!!
Are you sure you have the gauge senders hooked up right? Even if they are, I don't know that I'd get worked up until you confirm they are working right. Also, what thermostats are you running? To answer your question, mine (which is well broken in) runs right at "normal" 180 degrees at idle.
Any motor with fresh rings may run hot for a while. That being said, that seems hot to me. When I built mine, I bought an infra red hand held temp gauge to double check my temp sender. If you can buy or borrow one for a day, it would be well worth the effort so you know for sure how hot it really is.
Several things come to mind. First, did you put a fan in front of the radiator while running it? The engine is new and usually tight which will translate to a little higher temps 'till broken in. Not sure why you tied the two temps sensors together, but this could be causing a higher reading. Are you sure the gauge is correct? Hook up a cheapo gauge to one of the senders to see if the temps are about the same. I use a non-contact temp gun (about$50) which is outstanding for checking temps on the pump(s), radiator top and bottom, each header...etc. Very useful tool for finding failing wheel bearings, cold cylinders or even the onset of the flu.
Are the gauges stock and/or aftermarket, new or ? Is wiring harness in good shape with good grounds? I believe the stock setup has both electrical sensor wires hooked in series. Sometimes stock setups can be a shade off. I plan on having one gauge for each head and using ether line ones. Hope this helps! Regards, Dave.
A fresh engine is going to run a little warmer. Check the temps in each head with a new gauge separately to get a better idea of whats happining. Also you may need a better fan. .....Bob
By the "I have both temp senders linked together" I'm going to guess you've got original gauges. You need to verify the reading with a known good aftermarket gauge - many folks run direct-reading gauges right in the heads. ***uming your gauges are reading correctly, check your timing. Stock calls for 4* advance, but I like 6* as a starting point. Retarded ignition timing is one of the banes of flathead overheating. Double-check your timing. Take a look at your plugs - are you running lean? If so, jet up a couple sizes & re-check. If idling in the driveway, use a fan as suggested to augment airflow through the radiator. What thermostats are you using? I use quality 180* stats & drill a couple 1/8" holes in them to aid "burping" the system. If you have stats, did you burp the system? You can get airlock. If you don't have stats, consider running them - or at least a restrictor. I use water with a wetting agent & corrosion preventative. In the winter, I run a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze (overheating's not usually a problem in the winter). Straight water cools much better than any combo of coolant/water. And finally, yes new, tight engines do run a little bit hotter, but typically not enough to get boiling. Get it broken in, change your oil frequently, and drive it!
If you are running two aftermarket senders for your temp gauge, you should either have 2 gauges or a toggle switch to switch from sender to the other. The original dual temp sender(RH with one terminal, LH with 2 terminals) didn't seem to the the best idea either, and the senders are damned expensive too.
On the original gauges: do not use them as your main gauge UNTIL they have been checked against an aftermarket mechanical tube gauge. There are too many possible problems and variables...if they are good parts and wired properly, and the needed engine grounding is good, they will do fine as your only temp gauge AFTER you know they function and know where the needle should be at your running temp.
Our fresh 8BA runs at 180 degrees, at least the left head does........one of these days we'll screw a sender into the other head and see how it's doing.
Click here to see what the boiling point is related to the radiator pressure cap. http://performanceunlimited.com/do***ents/coolantpsifact.html With a 7lb cap boiling is 233 degrees. I run a 7 lb cap. I have a marine temp gauge screwed directly in each head. The engine usually runs at around 200 degrees (4 core radiator-rebuilt broke in 51 V8) . I have an 220 degree sending unit to an idiot lite that gives me a heads up if I'm getting warm. overspray
The general rule I have always heard is that on flatheads the normal temperature of the engine should be 100 degrees higher than the outside temps. Yes, a lean condition will heat up an engine too. I wouldnt be alarmed with an engine with a mechanical fan reaching those temps at idle. When the car isnt moving even when you blow a box fan in front of it it just doesnt get enough air. I know because I too had an 8ba that overheated on initial start up. Verify your gauge by using a good cooking thermometer in a pan and calibrate your readings. Use a good thermostat most are not accurate and inhibite flow in the open position. I too was thinking about hooking both senders from each bank to one gauge. My thinking it would automatically read the hotter bank. I never did it but was wondering if anyone has??
Wow, lots of responses in a short time...I forgot to mention, ive been outside adjusting the carbs while the cars been running, no one has been inside, the readings are coming a minute or 2 after the engine has been shut off and sitting, would this cause the temp to go up that high if no coolant is running?
Yes, the temp immediately will rise after the pumps stop. This lack of coolant movement will cause the remaining coolant in the block to heat up. Mine usually increases about ten to 15 degrees. Quick responses...That the second thing thats so great about this site>
Mooneyes sells a nice, trick little temp. gauge that screws into the head...I have one in each side of my flathead. http://www.mooneyesusa.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=578 My motor was overheating when I first got it together, I burped the system(and did some timing adjustments)...problem solved. I just filled it through the radiator with as much coolant as it would take, and then filled it through the top of the heads on both sides. You would be amazed how much more coolant it took! The temperature will spike upwards after you shut it down, let it run for a while and monitor closely. Good luck, let's see some pictures of the motor!
Mine runs at a steady 180 degrees and I don't run a fan blade. I run an electric fan with a manual switch , but very seldom need it....Mike
mine runs at 170- 180 when driving. at a long lite it hits 190-200 when its 115-120 out. i have a SW temp gague for each head that way i can keep an eye on both of them. make sure you check the temp when the motor is running. thats the temp you wanna worry about.
How about these gages from a fellow HAMBer. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166908&page=3
If you look at the schematic I posted, only one head has a "sensor" in it, the other is a switch. These senders won't work with any other kind of gauge but the stock one. Since the stock gauges (at least on trucks) don't had temperature markings in degrees, I have to ***ume you aren't using stock gauges. You can't hook two senders up to one aftermarket gauge unless you have a switch to select one or the other sender.
My '50 runs @ 185 with a Triple core Walker, electric fan set at 185 on 165 off and 185 stats. It nver leaves anything in the over flow and runs great at that temp. I guess you are runnin the stock sender and gauge? Are you still running 6v or have you converted to 12. If you have then you will need to run a 'Runtz" type shunt on your gauge to get the correct reading. __________________________________________ Smok'um if you gott'em boys!
See that mooneyes sells both a liquid filled and dry type mechanical water temp guage. Which one do you recommend for a flathead? Thanks.
I bought 3 gauges from Chuckspeed, 2 water temp and 1 oil pressure for my flathead project. They are quality constructed gauges and I don't see where you could go wrong as oil pressure and water temp are the two most important things that need to be right ,especially on a fresh engine. Frank
Good evening. If an electric fan is being used with the flathead (8BA), can one of the sensors in the head be the electric fan temperature sensor wired to the two prong sensor in the other head or do they both need to be OG sensors? If anyone knows of a thread mentioning this please kindly share. I cannot seem to get a straight answer and because of this I want to just try it out and see if it works so that I may share if someone else has always pondered this question/setup. Also, I am currently using a 180 degree probe in the left upper corner of my radiator (I don’t feel this is reliable) and it seems to not activate the fan at the stated temperature, reason for my thinking. It seems to be kicking on at about 220ish degrees. Still using original temperature gauge. Any ***istance to this question is appreciated. All in all I’d like to use the original setup/look with the exception of replacing the single prong OG sensor with the fan on/off temperature sensor if possible and have it still operate for the head/system as intended and as the OG would have. Otherwise, I’ll look at other possible alternatives. Thank you kindly in advance. **Pictures are of electric fan probe and current OG temperature sensors. .
The single terminal sender is the one that controls the readout on the gauge. The two terminal sender is just an on/off switch when the temperature gets to a certain point on the other bank. The two terminal is wired in series with the single terminal sender. This is all shown in the diagram at the start of this thread. If you want to remove one to fit a fan temp sender it would need to be the double terminal sender but to keep your temp gauge working you'd need to jump the wire from the temp gauge over to the single terminal sender. Of course this is all true if its wired as factory!
This thread is from 2007. I hope the OP has figured it out by now. In fact his flathead may need another rebuild by now.
Good morning @Enbloc. My apologies for the delay. Great, thank you so much. This was exactly what I was asking. I appreciate your response. It’s 12V with original use of my gauges. Thank you kindly again, this was a huge help.
Good morning @CSPIDY. May you please advise the appropriate thread in your response? Thank you kindly.
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