Question on oil temperature

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by YerDugliness

I've been wondering about condensate contamination recently on my (I think) box-stock 5.0 HO engine in my Cobra. I notice that on cool days the coolant temperature stays around 160* unless I turn off the puller fan on the radiator (it is a large Griffin radiator....at least it never overheats). If that is so, then the oil temperature must be even lower, as I seldom drive it anywhere near the upper RPM limits in town.

I'm just curious...what temp thermostats does everyone use? I have no idea what mine is, but think I'll swap it out for a 195* unit for the winter, then back to a 180* unit for the summer.

I guess I need an oil temp gauge more than I need the non-functional amp gauge (I have no oil cooler). Would it be best to connect the oil temperature gauge at the rear of the block, right in front of the firewall?

TIA for whatever advice y'all might have. I've seen engines all sludged up inside from failure to run a thermostat, but never gave much thought to the fact that failure to boil off the condensate in the oil might do the same thing.

Cheers!

Dugly

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the 5.0 HO engines came with 190 or 195 degree thermostats. Depending if it's still EFI or carbed,(I see your engine is carbed, so 180 degree thermostat would be correct for it) I would use that or a 180 thermostat, nothing lower. Soounds like you have a very efficeint cooling system on your car, you might try blocking off a few inches of the bottom of your radiator with the wide clear packing tape to help keep the water temp in the 180 to 190 range...
I use the same 180 degree thermostat on my street car and race car!!!!!

Water temp has little to no bearing on your oil temp.,oil temp is determined by rpms and bearing clearance mostly and oil viscosity to some degree....not sure I understand what you mean by putting your oil temp gauge at the rear of the block, it needs to be low in the oil pan where it will stay submerged in oil to get any kind of accurate reading...
Idealy,to me anyway, water temp should stay bewteen 180 and 190, and oil temp from 190 to 220....

David