Epilogue

Thanks, everyone, for all of the help you gave me in getting my Jeep back to a running condition! I took it out for a test drive and it did just fine. Running a couple of degrees warmer than I'd like, but I haven't played with the air/fuel mixture yet and an extra strip that was screwed onto my fan shroud got melted off of it so that may contribute to slightly higer temps than I'm used to seeing. The plan is to take it out on some trails tomorrow after playing with the air/fuel ratio and see how it does. I'll be bringing a fire extinguisher along with me this time. That was an expen$ive lesson. THANKS AGAIN, EVERYONE! :-)

Reply to
Shaggie
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-Brian

Reply to
Cherokee-LTD

Hey! That reminds me! I also replaced the thermostat in it... Nobody has ever explained to me the terminology of thermostats. If I put in a "cooler" thermostat does that mean that my engine will run a little cooler since the thermostat will allow the water to flow through the radiator sooner, at a cooler water temperature? Or do I have it backwards? Or just completely wrong? Is there usually a temperature designation stamped on a thermostat? I'm thinking maybe I should go ahead (since they are so cheap) and take the thermostat I have to the auto parts store and tell them I want a cooler one if that would help me run cooler and if they could look at my current thermostat and tell what rating it is. I was running at about 210 today and would like to see it a little lower than that. What do y'all think?

Reply to
Shaggie

The thermostat is only for the warm up time, it has no bearing once heated up.

If you have winter, you want a hot thermostat so for sure you will at least have say 195 water running through it.

For any emissions sensors or thermostat chokes, or injection you want a hot one in so the engine warms up fast. If you have it too cold, some will stay in choke mode or the mechanical choke won't open full.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Shaggie wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Mike Romain wrote in news:40916D0E.1C46FE52 @sympatico.ca:

I've heard stories of how some people have tried removing their thermostats to make their engine run cooler and how that actually will make your engine run hotter. I don't understand how that can be if the thermostat has no bearing on operating temperature once the engine is warmed up. I'm sure there's something else there at play that I don't know about. Could you explain this to me? Thank you.

Reply to
Shaggie

Shaggie wrote in news:c6rpnv$ff063$1@ID-

163201.news.uni-berlin.de:

Brian, why did you say that? Mike says the thermostat only is relevant during the warmup period of the engine.

Reply to
Shaggie

Too much of a good thing isn't sometimes...

The t-stat is a metered hole designed to match the needs of the engine. When you take it out, you make too big a hole so the fluid speeds up. This means it doesn't stay in the rad long enough to cool down.

You can put a restricter in if you take the t-stat out.

Some folks try a colder t-stat and extra fans to make them run cooler although I don't think it works well if at all.

A colder street engine isn't any more efficient or anything. The best mileage is had with a warmed up engine.

Mike

Shaggie wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Mike Romain wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@sympatico.ca:

What is considered to be a good operating temperature for my engine? Anyone? '76 304. Running at about 210 right now. That too high? What's a good range? Thank you.

Reply to
Shaggie

It is supposed to have a 195 thermostat in it according to my manual so it runs at 'least' at 195 degrees...

A 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water boils at 265 or more.

210 sounds right to me. That leaves a pile of room before you get close to the boil over point.

You also need to note that the thermostats are notoriously not accurate....

Mike

Shaggie wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

I always thought they ran them cold so they could advance the crap out of them and run lean and mean. That makes them get hot fast so every bit of cool helps.

Mike

"L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

Mike Romain wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@sympatico.ca:

OK, I feel better after reading that. I flushed my radiator today and then drained it completely, then put in a jug of antifreeze, then filled that jug with water and added it, then put in about 1/3 of another jug of water so I'm probably 40-45% antifreeze and the rest water right now. I still wanna go through the procedure Chris outlined for me to set up the air/fuel mixture before hitting the trails, but I have tomorrow off from work so I should be on the trails by 10am or so. WHOO HOOOOOOO!

Reply to
Shaggie

The fact is, in an otherwise properly operating cooling system, a cooler thermostat will cause an engine to run cooler

I've seen many vehicles fail smog tests because the thermostat has been replaced with a cooler one and the engine doesn't heat up enough for proper combustion and emission controls operation.

Reply to
bllsht

Mike, the two reasons that engines are run as cool as possible are: 1. that the air will be somewhat denser going into the engine and 2. the clearances in the engine are a bit higher when the engine is cold, theoretically reducing friction. In modern times however, the racing engine people have changed the bearing and piston clearances so that they are running at the proper clearances when at operating temperature. Look at it this way, if the cold engine was better, NASCAR teams would be chilling the engines as much as possible. They normally run their engines in the 200-220F range for the best balance of power and combustion efficiency. Running an engine too cold will result in the "gas wash" effect in a street engine because of too much unburned gas. It just doesn't atomize and mix with the air as efficiently when it is too cold.

Chris

Reply to
c

Travis,

Before you panic, get your timing and fuel mixture set up properly. There is no better way to make an engine run hotter than to have timing and carb settings out of whack.

Chris

Reply to
c

I know I'm arriving late to this party, but my Rubi, and indeed all 2003+ TJs run at 210. No matter if I'm cruisin' on the highway, stuck in traffic, or runnin' AC on the trail (for shame!) n.

Reply to
Nathan Otis

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

: >>: : >> Bring a lower t-stat and some tools with you as well. : >> -Brian : : Brian, why did you say that? Mike says the thermostat only is relevant : during the warmup period of the engine. : : --

I respectfully disagree with Mike. The t-stat is a metering valve just like adjusting the tap on your garden hose. A cooler t-stat slows the flow and allows your rad enough time to cool it's capacity.

Your original post didn't mention your operating temperature - just that it was hotter than before. My recommendation for a cooler t-stat addresses a faulty t-stat (sticking open) and compensating for the changes you made for your fuel delivery system.... all for about $5.00.

If you're running 210, you're fine. If you see it creeping above 225 keep a close eye on it. If you see prolonged 230+ you may have 'issues'.

-Brian

Reply to
Cherokee-LTD

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