Where is the needle supposed to be?

[Phatboy]

Hey guys, new to the forum. I have a question for you all.

I have a 95 GT with the stock cooling system. I need for you all to tell me where the Eng Temp needle should read at an idle, on the hwy, and on the hwy with the AC on.

In my car at idle it sits between the R and M.
On the highway no AC its dead on the M.
On the highway with AC its between the M and A, sometimes dead on the A if its a hot day.

I think this is too high, but I dont have an infrared temp gun.

I have changed the thermostat out with a stock 195* replacement after first trying a 160* and finding out that is way too low for the 5.0.

STOCK INFORMATION ONLY PLEASE. I know an aftermarked radiator will cool it way down, but I think I have a problem to take care of and my car is stock.

 

[ttocs]

stock gauge just says that there is a temp, not a specific temp. Its basically little more then an idiot gauge. Until you put an aftermarket on it saying what letters it is on means nothing.

 

[white95]

You're in the "normal" (no pun intended) range.. If you feel it's too high, you can always flush the coolant system and then bleed the air. Also, make sure the fins on your radiator are clean.

 

[Venom351R]

Aftermarket gauge FTW

 

[Phatboy]

Thats about what I figured you guys would say. I have been looking at the one in the link below because it matches my interior best.

It will drive me insane if the stock gauge (even if its pointless) is not working on my dash. So how do I hook up the new one and retain the stock one as well if they both use the same port on the manifold? All I have found are the adapters that you splice into the coolant hose, and I REALLY dislike those!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/52mm-Black-...Parts_Accessories&hash=item564bb52c92&vxp=mtr

I will definitely check the rad fins, and I probably do need to flush the cooling system. Is there a "best" way to do this on this car. On my old truck we just used a garden hose on the heater core line and let it run while the engine ran for 10 mins...tons of crap came out.

Also, I just emptied and cleaned out my coolant overflow bottle, and there was greenish/grey "soup" in the bottom.

 

[Bub]

I bought a 3/8" npt brass t and with some teflon tape used the same threaded hole as the sending unit for the pcm (located above and a hair to the left of the water neck) i installed both sending units in that t and that's it i can go snap a pic

 

[Orange 94]

Like said above. The gauge basically means good or bad. If its in the "normal range" its likely good.

 

[Phatboy]

No need for the picture Bub. I understand. Thanks for the tip.

The reason I ask is because Ive had a detonation problem for months. I cannot get it to completely go away, even with timing at 10* and running 92 octane fuel. Running 87 or 89 octane gives me serious detonation.

Also the car got way hot the other day like almost out of the NORMAL range and into the red. That in turn fried my TFI and stranded me 25 miles from home.

I am planning to turbo this car in the future, and want everything to be in good shape for when that time comes.

 

[ttocs]

I thought it would bother me that my stock gauge didn't work. It doesn't for a second, you will not miss it...

 

[white95]

That detonation could be from carbon built up on the pistons over the years. I'd do a high pressure fuel system treatment or at least some Chemtool or Seafoam.

 

[Phatboy]

I have seafoamed the crap out of it! lol

I have new:
Harmonic balancer
Plugs - Motorcraft that the manual calls for gapped them at .52
Plug wires - MSD Streetfire 8mm
Coil - Masterpro cause thats all they had
Dist/cap/rotor - Autozone reman cause thats all they had
TFI - forgot brand, but came from Oreillys
Cleaned MAF, TPS, IAC
Deleted EGR, Smog

My next step I think is to verify WOT fuel pressure, and smoke the vacuum system again...

 

[OnyxCobra]

mine usually reads the highest when it's sitting and idling, when there is air moving through it is when it's the coolest.

 

[ttocs]

I know mine changed one day for no reason enough to get me worried. Put an aftermarket on there and it showed it was normal. I am sure it was the stock sensor or something but better safe/sorry after a HCI swap.

 

[Hoseitdown]

I'll tell you what it could be.....


Slack timing chain.

Slack timing chain allows your cam and crank timing to be slightly off, ie building compression. Machine shop feller told me that about mine a while back. So I bought a timing chain set, swapped them, and no more detonation or "spark knock".

 

[Phatboy]

I was wondering about that myself Hose. Sometimes it doesnt do it at all, sometimes it does!

 

[JJhirsch]

When you set the timing did you take the little gray plug part out that turns the computer timing off while you set it?

 

[Phatboy]

Yep. Timing is dead on at 10* with the spout OUT.

 

[ttocs]

couldn't it be as simple as an O2 sensor?

 

[RichV]

Check codes, or have the part store check them for you.

you could also have a slipped balancer which would make your timing off. That's where I'd start.

 

[Phatboy]

couldn't it be as simple as an O2 sensor?

Well yes, I guess it could. I read that if you unplug them the computer jumps to a very rich safe tune is that true?

Check codes, or have the part store check them for you.

you could also have a slipped balancer which would make your timing off. That's where I'd start.

No codes in the EEC, and I did just replace the balancer.