Engine Temp

I have a 2009 Vintage Speedster with 1500+/- miles, with a 1915 engine and 3:88 trans, which usually runs at about 1/3 to 1/2 across the bar on the temp gauge. Today I was driving through hilly backroads and a little highway driving, with outside temps ranging from the low 80's to low 90's. The temp gauge climbed up to near the high end of the bar...NOT in the red. If you know the typical VS COMB gauge, the needle went through the M in TEMP on the gauge. Is this OK and to be expected? Thanks. Paul

those VS gauges are terribly unreliable. Better to get a real oil temp gauge and maybe a cylinder head temp gauge.

In regard to your oil temperature gauge, since these gauges are probably made in China and have a very bad reputation, you're basing a temperature reading on a totally unknown comodity. What does 1/2, 3/4, 7/8th of the swept surface of the gauge really mean. For all you know, 1/2 of the sweeping of the needle on the gauge could mean 100 degrees or 120 or 150 or 50, who knows until your substantiate what it truly means

Several things are going on here, first and as stated, your gauge may be inaccurate. As I understand it, you're cruising through hilly terrain in high 80's to low 90's weather. A 3.88 isn't the best gear for this kind of activity and if you were in high gears during your cruise then the engine wasn't turning enough RPM's to pass air through the internal cooler and on top of that, cool the cylinders and heads. Try it again only next time, down shift to the next lower gear and let the RPM's go up where 2 different things are going on, first, the engine isn't lugging and second, it's producing enough air via the fan to cool cylinders/heads/oil then, take an oil temperature reading.

If all the rest of the scenario is the same as it was , I'd almost bet that the oil will be cooler

Get a dipstick thermometer. I fashioned a loop handle out of wire to make it easier to pull out to check the oil level. Oil temps. of 190 to 220 are considered safe. I always lift the lid to check the oil temp. after a long and/or "spirited" run.

http://www.mainelycustombydesign.com/engine_components.html#dipstick

~WB

Thanks for the responses. Gives me a few things to try. Paul

Has anyone had their gauge calibrated and numbered by one of the Speedo companies?

I have been having issues with my Multi Gauge and have been considering this route.

Jay

Hi Jay, I bought the "mainelycustombydesign" dipstick temp gauge and compared my dash board gauge to the actual reading on the dipstick. I now have "in my mind" where the normal 180 degrees up to 220 and rely on that.

Ditto, Stephen. Middle of combo temp gauge seems to correspond with about 235 to 240 on the mbd dipstick. Only rarely gets to that level. Extended driving in the heat, above 90 degrees external, 70mph+.

Bob

If you want a cheap calibration test, just get a pot of boiling water, put a little in a thermos and insert your temperature sensor. Boiling water is near 212 degrees F, depending slightly on temperature, humidity and air pressure, but even then it don't vary much. OK, you guys living above 5000 feet elevation should probably check your local conditions.

Another suggestion; get the Gene Berg dipstick; it's cheap (I paid $15.00 for mine a few years ago) and it's calibrated specifically for aircooled VW engines. It's wired to the oil light which will light up to alert you whan the temperature starts to get noticeably high.

Dang! Missed it by two months.

http://www.geneberg.com/cat.php?name=Oil%20Temperature%20Dip%20Sticks&cPath=2734

Has anyone tried pulling their dip stick and taking a reading with an infrared temperature gun?

No, but I've used one on different points of the engine.

~WB

If anyone has one of those GB 227s lying around the shop I'd sure like first crack at it.

Wow...I'm telling you it's harder and harder every day to keep these things on the road. Gene Berg hardly has anything anymore!!

The people who made them for Berg are still selling them. I don't remember if I read about that here or on theSamba. Maybe try searching both places.

If you can't find the dipstick guage you can use a Taylor Digital Cooking Timer/Thermometer. Very fast and very acurate. Can be found in almost any cook's supply shop. It has a remote probe that is wired to a small hand held digital display. about $25 (don't forget to wipe the probe off before you stick it back into the roast beef)

The Berg dipstick doesn't have a temp gauge. It just lights your oil pressure bulb.

The Mainely Custom dipstick should be readily available and has a temp gauge.

Ed,
I may have one of those I am not using - the one that goes to the light -right?
Email me - I will take a look.
Dale

I like Al's idea a lot.

The Berg thingie doesn't actually tell you what temp you're running - it just makes your oil light come on at something like 230F. OK, I suppose, but WTF good is THAT?

At least with Al's meat thermometer you KNOW what the temp is and can deal with it. That's also better then stopping , getting out, opening the engine cover and reading those really small numbers on the Mainely Custom dipstick (like the one I have - I ain't getting any older, and neither are my eyes!)

I'm gonna look for a Taylor meat thermometer. After all, I can wipe it off and use it in my Redneck Turkey Fryer.......

Mainley Custom looks to be about $50. And it's a gauge that's under your hood, which is inconvenient to check whilst cruising on the highway.

dash gauge setup is also bux, plus needs a new hole on the dash, which I don't wan to make.

The Berg thingie supposedly starts your light a flickering when you get to about 215F. Solid at maybe 225. That would be good.

I happen to have some unused idiot light pods in my speedo, one of which is marked "oil." Probably would wire the Berg thermometer to the existing BIG RED light on my center cluster and send the low pressure signal to a new "oil" light within the speedo, since I have a VDO oil pressure gauge operating.

BIG RED LIGHT flickering on the dash right below the oil pressure gauge would get my attention very satisfactorily.

Emailed you, Schu.

Well, Gord, I'll tell you...it saves your motor by lighting your oil indicator up. It's designed to warn you with a safety margin so that you don't cook it. Knowing the exact temperature your motor is running doesn't make much difference because if it heats up you'll have to do exactly the same thing: stop by the side of the road, turn it off and wait for it to cool down....what else can you do?