Lozer Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 hot weather running temps for an l20b? Coming back from lathrup today my guage was up in the 220+ area. how hot is to hot with this motor? I did not over heat im just concerned. Also i have the stock "late model" 510 Radiator which would be more effective installing electric electric fans or a larger radiator. (yes i know both would be the way to go but i are poor) Im going to put in a cooler thermostat also 160 deg Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 220 is OK. Most engines can handle 250 degrees, but need a 14 pound cap and no leaks otherwise it'll boil at 212. Cooler thermostat won't help. Larger radiator is best. Electric fans are not better than the stock fan. Quote Link to comment
Buzzbomb Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 I had a 180 degree thermostat in my L20B before my headgasket blew. Since I live in an area that can be 0 out during the winter, I decided to try a 190 thermostat and see what happens next winter. During the few cold days we had after I swapped it out, the heater worked awesome, and it warmed up much faster. On the hotter days as of late, it is no different in temp than the 180 I had in there. I only have a stock gauge, but I run around 1/3 up to a around 3/4 up in the normal range. Normal temp for me is around 1/2, but I get up around 3/4 after a long haul up a hill. FWIW, my radiator is the original 3 core. Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Blown headgasket is not caused by 200 or 220 degrees. Most common causes: * Defective gasket * Incorrect torque on head bolts. My Datsun owner's manual says to retorque with every tune-up (every 12000 miles) * Improper prep: make sure block and head face are prepped, no oil, no grease, scraped perfectly clean. Use no sealer. Bolt holes cleaned out, threads chased and dry. * Massive overheating (loss of coolant) Quote Link to comment
zed Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 The Honsowetz book says L-motors like to run at 200F. But I live in a hot place, so I have a 160F (72 C) thermostat in my L18. Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 So if you have a 160 thermo, the engine temp should never get above 160. If it gets hotter, the radiator isn't working correctly. So fitting a colder thermostat is not the fix. Quote Link to comment
Buzzbomb Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 The thermostat temp rating isn't the temp the vehicle runs at, it's the temp the thermostat is fully open at. That's probably why Nissan recommended a 190 for cold areas and a 160 for hot areas. Hot areas don't need a hot thermostat, cold areas need a higher rated temp for the heater to work right. Quote Link to comment
tnip Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 if you have a 160 thermostat it will start to open at 160 and be fully open at about 180. that's why nissan recommends a 190 thermostat because there's a 20 degree range from just open to full open. which would put the full open temp at about 210. and as long as your cooling system is working properly (i.e. good cap, no leaks, good coolant, clean rad...) and you're driving under normal conditions, then it'll never hit 210. throw an aftermarket coolant temp gauge in there and watch it. you will see when the thermostat starts to open, when it's fully opened and then when it closes back up. a modern properly working thermostat opens and closes over and over your temp will never be steady for very long periods of time. Quote Link to comment
odmanjohnson Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 i say when it starts making noise, smells wierd and looses power, but thats cause i dont have a guage in the rally truck and i dont care. l20s are dang tough Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.