oil temp

[DanEC]

Evan - if this helps any I took my ERA (no oil cooler) for a ride today. It was in the low 70s and my water temp peaked out about 83 C and my oil at about 82 C. Sounds like your gage could have a problem.

[ACHiPo]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Evan - if this helps any I took my ERA (no oil cooler) for a ride today. It was in the low 70s and my water temp peaked out about 83 C and my oil at about 82 C. Sounds like your gage could have a problem.

Dan,
Thanks. Pretty sure it's a bourdon tube issue. After my measurements I'm comfortable the engine coolant and oil temps are where they should be.
Evan

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ACHiPo

Dan,
Thanks. Pretty sure it's a bourdon tube issue. After my measurements I'm comfortable the engine coolant and oil temps are where they should be.
Evan

I saw your post over on the FordFE forum. When you pull your sensor out and stick it in a pot of boiling water, if the needle on the gauge goes right up to 100 degrees Celsius, then it pretty much has to be a goofy result of the placement of the sensor in the pan. We've seen that happen from time to time on oil temp sensors. But you've pretty much got to do that test -- you can't just live with a gauge that gives you the wrong readings.

[ACHiPo]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I saw your post over on the FordFE forum. When you pull your sensor out and stick it in a pot of boiling water, if the needle on the gauge goes right up to 100 degrees Celsius, then it pretty much has to be a goofy result of the placement of the sensor in the pan. We've seen that happen from time to time on oil temp sensors. But you've pretty much got to do that test -- you can't just live with a gauge that gives you the wrong readings.

See no evil?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ACHiPo

See no evil?

Yes, it's kind of like that TV commercial where the woman puts the sticker over her Check Engine light.

[ACHiPo]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Yes, it's kind of like that TV commercial where the woman puts the sticker over her Check Engine light.

Not quite. In this case I know the water temp is trust worthy, and there is a significant temp delta between the oil and water temp gauges, plus I know the oil pressure behavior when the engine is warm enough to hammer. Perhaps I'm missing the value of the oil temp gauge?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ACHiPo

Not quite. In this case I know the water temp is trust worthy, and there is a significant temp delta between the oil and water temp gauges, plus I know the oil pressure behavior when the engine is warm enough to hammer. Perhaps I'm missing the value of the oil temp gauge?

Alright, you and I are not Morris chasing 200MPH. He needs an oil temp gauge, we can get by without one. That said, your oil temp gauge does provide good information on when your engine is actually warmed up (not just when the coolant is warmed up) and it will give you a little bit of advance warning if something in your mill changes. That's provided you know how it normally behaves when you are doing the things you normally do. That's where not having a working oil temp gauge leaves you short -- you don't know how it normally behaves because it never has. Having a working oil temp will give you a better insight in to your engine and its performance. Yes, you can live without it, but you shouldn't.