Operating Temperature?

[cobraprince]

This may be the wrong place to be posting this but... here goes...

I have a `78 Plymouth volare 225, 2bbl, 2dr coupe. My gauges are all whacked out and I am looking at buying new gauges. I need to buy mechanical gauges right? And also what would be the average operating temperature of my engine, water, oil? And oil pressure? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[MrPbody]

Well, you're correct. This is not the right place for this question. There are no 6-cylinder "muscle cars" (some Buick owners may argue, but that car has a blower...).

Operating temp for a '78 should be 195 F. That's the temperature it takes to make the catalytic converter "work". Oil pressure should be around 45 lbs. "cold" and "hot at cruise", and no less than 20 at a "hot" idle, "in gear".

Jim

[cobraprince]

Originally Posted by MrPbody

Well, you're correct. This is not the right place for this question. There are no 6-cylinder "muscle cars" (some Buick owners may argue, but that car has a blower...).

Operating temp for a '78 should be 195 F. That's the temperature it takes to make the catalytic converter "work". Oil pressure should be around 45 lbs. "cold" and "hot at cruise", and no less than 20 at a "hot" idle, "in gear".

Jim

Thank you very much. You are a lot of help.
For future reference though, where should I post about my car?

I have another question to bother you with if you don't mind though. I am looking at gauges online and I am finding ones that say water temperature and some that just say temperature gauges. For 195 degrees should that be for the water or engine?

[MrPbody]

Post in the "Plymouth" forum. This is the Plymouth "sub-forum" of "Muscle cars".

Autometer and some others supply a 3-guage "set" with water, oil and volts. This is what I would recommend. There are other "temperature" guages too. Oil and transmission are the most popular. Those typically run at a higher temp than the coolant.

Sets that have an ammeter ("amp" guage) in them are old or obsolete. Volts tell us much more about the condition of the battery and electrical system.

As long as the guage has the correct "range" from cold to hot, it will be fine.

Jim

[cobraprince]

Originally Posted by MrPbody

Post in the "Plymouth" forum. This is the Plymouth "sub-forum" of "Muscle cars".

Autometer and some others supply a 3-guage "set" with water, oil and volts. This is what I would recommend. There are other "temperature" guages too. Oil and transmission are the most popular. Those typically run at a higher temp than the coolant.

Sets that have an ammeter ("amp" guage) in them are old or obsolete. Volts tell us much more about the condition of the battery and electrical system.

As long as the guage has the correct "range" from cold to hot, it will be fine.

Jim

Thank you.
You have been very helpful to me.