Dauntless 160* Stat

wanted a little feedback from the peanut gallery..

I am debating putting a 160* thermostat in my Dauntless that's in the Series 2a Land Rover I built..

I am currently running an electric fan with the stock (aftermarket) Series radiator..
truck has been cooling 'ok' in the mild temps we have been having in the North East with a few 20/25 min highway runs.. (high RPMs)
this AM with the muggy air and 15 min on the highway the temp was creeping up..

who is running a 160 and does the engine get up to temp or does it really run cool?
always worried about proper combustion and oil quality with these cool thermostats.. but the benefits of not watching the temp gauge like a hawk all summer might outweigh the negatives.

 

Mine gets "hot" as far as the stock temp gauge goes, when it's hot out and not going very fast. I used to worry about it. Now I don't worry.

 

Based on the information you have provided, I ask why change? Changing the temperature set point isn't going to make the cooling system work any better. You say that it has been cooling "ok" which to me means it's working correctly. If it wasn't, the engine would be overheating. What does "creeping up" mean? Under normal circumstances, there can be a slight increase in engine operating temperature during warmer days but the engine will not overheat.

 

Most everything I run tends to run 200 to 210 ish. I don’t worry till I see or hear steam or bubbling water.

 

I agree ... If you want it to try and run cooler , put a bigger, aluminum core radiator in. Leave the stat alone.

 

ok, good questions..

the truck is running around 85 Celsius (original Rover capillary gauge) when driving around town.. perfect considering I have a 185 degree stat in there now.

after running on the highway (increase RPM) for a period of time the engine temp rises.. I have had it right around the red line on the gauge bellow.. I am assuming the red line is around (97.5 deg Celsius) 210 deg Fahrenheit given the scale (I think that on the high end for a dauntless?) what is considered overheating other than a geyser from the cap?

I guess what I was looking to gain is a lower temp so any increase in operating temp under hot weather or hi RPM would just leave me with a cooler situation... I had this same issue in my CJ6 w/360 the stock 195* would leave me wanting more on long highway trips or in the dead of the summer.. swapping in a 185* gave me that 10 degree buffer that I stopped fixating on the temp gauge.

The truck shouldn't be under cooled as the radiator is about the same size as the CJ5 equivalent for the same motor and both Jeep / Rovers have the aerodynamics of a brick. It is an aftermarket radiator, I would prob do better with the original copper/brass if and when I re core it.

is there a problem with the cooler temp for these motors?

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I did what you are contemplating for the same reasons. It now runs 190 or a bit higher. Its strange that the temp creeps up during prolonged long drives with a great airflow..

 

I think highway driving at speeds these vehicles weren't really designed to travel actually inhibit the airflow to the engine bay...
but that's a topic for another thread that will undoubtedly require wind tunnel results along with graphs or air velocity values at speed...

 

The water pump isn’t terribly effective at moving water as it’s not a circle the water kinda mingles around. the back of the block sees less flow. more speed equals more heat but not a ton more coolant flow hence the creep. The temp goes up after you shut it off cause of heat soak the same problem causes the rise in temp on the highway as the water lingers in the back.

 

Changing the thermostat won't affect the cooling capacity of the system. It may possibly give you a few more minutes of cool running while the excess heat overcomes the cooler starting temperature. Efficiency of heat transfer depends on the temperature difference between the coolant and the surroundings. Currently the coolant has to be too hot to keep up with the engine heat at high ambient and highway speed. The thermostat is no longer controlling the engine temperature - instead the conditions are.

Is this a new radiator?

 

Yep. A colder thermostat (or no thermostat) will not remedy an insufficient cooling system in any way. Radiator shrouding? A well fit, no peripheral leaks shroud makes a huge difference. Otherwise you only end up using a portion of the core area for most of your heat transfer. Also, have you tried a water wetter?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/red-80204

In my experience, it's good for about a 5 degree overall drop in temps.

 

2700+ CFM electric fan that’s fully shrouded

It’s a new aftermarket radiator, would be better off with a re cored original.

The extra 5/10 min might be enough till i get that a squared away

 

X2

 

Have a bottle in there now...

The entire rad surface is covered by a shroud that the electric fan sits in... I’ll try and snap a picture.. not enough room for the mechanical

 

Thermostat swapped and truck now idles @70* C (160* F)
Just finishing burp and test run... haven’t driven yet... 80* deg outside today so should have some good test atmosphere...

 

Dude....... Just realized your in Rochester ? Where abouts. I'm up in Irondeqouit / Charlotte area .