Question on oil temperature

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by DAVID GAGNARD

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.

....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

Thanks, David, for the advice...I'll definitely change out the thermostat while I have the valve covers off for gasket replacement!

As for my comment regarding the "oil temp gauge at the rear of the block", I guess the keyboard gremlins got me that time. I was trying to say "..sensor location for the oil temp gauge"...the rear of the block seemed to be the best idea as I thought there was a place to tap into the oiling system for a pressure gauge...I see now that those "ports" are coolant and vacuum "ports". I do have a Fox body oil pan on the Cobra right now, and there is a plugged port on the driver's side of the pan, directly to the side of the rear oil pan drain plug, that was probably for a factory "low oil" sensor, I'll try to use that location.

I am guilty of thinking that I need heavy viscosity oil in my pan...think I will switch to 15W-30 or 15W-40. Right now there is a very slight leak at the rear corner of the passenger's side valve cover, so I check the oil level every time I get in my car. It must be a very slight leak, I guess, as the oil level never seems to drop on the dipstick. My oil pressure VERY seldom drops to 40PSI, and usually at any RPM level above idle is at 60PSI (VDO gauges, no idea how accurate they are).

Cheers, and thanks, again! An oil temp gauge is definitely in my Cobra's future.

Dugly