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Coolant Temp: How Hot is Too Hot?
My winter rad block is simply an unfolded cardboard box. Ironically, it covers the radiator entirely without modification.
So, on sub 20F days, the system doesn't struggle to cool and life is good. The additional heat works to improve FE: both with accelerated warm-up, but also with ideal IATs. With our heat wave today, the ambient temps were up to 40F -- and the coolant system? Really working at it...
The SG showed a max of 240F and the fans were at full-tilt. But the upside: much better FE and aggressive TC lockup around town. So how hot is too hot?
The temp gauge (somewhat unreliable, I know) moved a bit from the norm, but not much. At what point does heat = damage?
To avoid rapid cooling, I generally run the heat and blower at maximum to reduce the coolant temps to below 200F before parking.
I run premium fuel and haven't noticed any pinging/detonation with the hotter temps. So far the 50/50 coolant mix has held-up, and the replacement radiator hasn't complained. On cold days like this morning (at 11F, the heat felt good and didn't require intervention). Restart after EOC is pretty rapid and the transmission performance is improved (synth fluid used).
So, what's the take on temp?
-RH77
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“If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research” ― Albert Einstein
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