Engine temperature

[Shadowman]

This topic as well as others have been discussed in earlier threads and posts. "X" pipes and similiare designs will help as well as turning the A/C on when stuck in traffic. Ford has done extensive testing and is aware of the high temps. I posed the question to one of the engine designers and testers in Detroit last summer and was told the engine was found to run better at these high temps. Personaly, I would not play with the engine computer to get the temps down . Only my opinion!!

I agree with the overall operating temperatures of the engines being higher today by design however I think that most are addressing the external heat as generated and or experienced and the resulting affect that this has on the cooling systems (oil and water) being able to maintain and operate within the OEM designed range.

For example the OEM thermostat has an opening point of approximately 180 degrees which by today’s standards is low for many car and when the gal is driven during the heat of a modest day she will likely cycle just fine however when the heat of the day is extreme and external forces such as extreme radiant heat come into play the cooling system is tested; and other example is the front grill on the 05 versus the 06. This (as I was told by The GT Guys) was a change made so as to help maintain the gals operating temperature during more extreme situations such a track events when they found that the 05 with the grill had a tendency to get much warmer.

Now by removing the OEM muffler and or thermal coating or wrapping pieces you only change issues that affect the way the primary system was intended to operate; you do not change the primary operation. Meaning as designed the coolant temperature will reach a certain temperature based on the proper operation of the thermostat and the supporting cooling systems components and in the ideal world will cycle a bit however when secondary influences such as extreme radiant heat and or ambient heat come into play it can be at times difficult for the primary system to operate as designed/intended.

Lastly; changing the percentage of coolant to water and even adding products such as Wetter Water will allow the system to become more stable (in many cases lower the physical temperatures) during the above mentioned extreme operating situations; but also as mentioned above the system will still operate within the OEM design spec’s “UNLESS” you do something such as change the thermostat rating, remove it, or in some other way alter the cooling systems design. Even reducing the point at which the fans come on will not alter the OEM spec’d operating temperatures but rather will likely allow the system to cycle a bit rather than always being at the extreme end of the desired heat scale.

Takes care

Shadowman

 

[Ed Sims]

Ed's GT engine coolant temps

At most open track events I have run with consistant 220 deg engine coolant temps & it has run fine. Today I ran at a 4100 ft elevation track (Reno-Fernley Raceway in Nevada http://www.reno-fernleyraceway.com) at 80 deg & I saw 238 deg for the first time. The other change (a very big change), other than altitude, is my 19 lb Whipple for 91 octane. It was at redline in 3rd plenty of times with lots of track elevation changes so I am not sure if these temps will be the same closer to sea level. I'll know next month when I take the GT to Buttonwillow & Thunderhill, both in CA near sea level but in June with very high valley temps!

Ed