What temp does you're engine run at?
 

My temp gauge never goes past 1/4 of the way up. It's always under halfway. I guess it just runs cool. Does anyone else's run like this? Is mine un-normal to run that cool?

HI!... DAN : Don't trust any of the factory gages. They are very inacurate and some are only dummy guages. Like the oil pressure guage. I have a AUTOMETER mechanical coolant temp guage in my truck. I always run between 182 - 195 degree's. Oncemy electric fan blew a fuse and did'nt engage. I did'nt realize it and the temp went up to 220 degree's fot a few minutes until I kicked my 2ND fan on with my manual switch. When my truck is at 180 or 220 the factory guage never raise from the same position. The time the factory guage hits really hot, your engine is DONE!!!!!

I occasionally watch my temp using the odometer. After its up to temp, it hovers within 1 degree + or - of 91C, 196F. Never gets below 89C after up to temp and never above 96C even when towing on a hot day. Tells me there is plenty of cooling capacity in the radiator.

gauges
 

Question:

Any of you guys watch you roil pressure gauge after a oil change.
After I change my oil, when I start my truck back up the oil pressure gauge stays af the bottom for a second. Then it shoots up to normal. I was just thinking, maybe the oil pressure gauge might be really work.

oil pressure gauge
 

**** 4 -
The oil pressure gauge, if I remember correctly will show 0 oil pressure but if the pressure is greater than some 4 or 8 lbs. or so then it reads halfway regardless if it's 4 or 40 lbs of pressure.

When you change your oil, if you don't do this already, try filling the filter with oil first, oil gets to the motor faster that way (if you can, i'm not sure how the filter is tilted on the v8 trucks).

DanB/NEAL:
 

My 01 L's temp gauge act's a little differently. I noted where the needle sat normally. I exchanged my stock 'stat with a 160* 'stat(as a precaution against detonation) and then noted any change. Guess what, it did change--the needle now sit's about 1/8" lower???

Btw, the decimal readout shows 75-78*C or about 169-171*F--no detonation either.

Dan

My engine is staying a lot cooler thanks to my new low temp thermostat. The darn thing was a pain in the Arse to put in but it sure cooled her down. First we had problems because the Cast iron Thermostat housing would break time and time again when torquing down to Spec. We finally just went out and got an aluminum one from the Factory. Then it took us several attempts to get a good seal. *grumble*

Anyway, How hard is it to hook up new temp gages? I'm also interested in getting an RPM guage but I imagine it is not an easy job?

my needle always stays at the 3/4 position. REgardless if i'm running at WOT or without my foot on the gas. maybe i should invest in some aftermarket gauges? pillar gauges might be kinda cool :D

There was a post on Ford-Diesel where somebody covered there rad and compared the factory gauge to an aftermarket gauge. I can't remember the exact numbers (and couldn't find the post again) but it went something like this:

Temp < 180 - needle moves normally
180 - 210 - needle stays in the same place
>210 needles moves again

Ian

these things are hardly accurate. Most of these are dummy gauges where a needle is used intead of a warning light.