QAt what point is reducing the operating temp,going to far? I suppose its greatly affected by where you live & how fast & furious? Sorry,didnt mean to reduce our Vettes stature by using a term associated with ricers!

Too far is when the fuel starts to quench on the cylinder wall and head to the point where complete combustion goes away. All engine have some fuel quenching. Too much creates a part of the cylinder that does not burn fuel. It just blows out the tail pipe and you lose performance and raise emissions. Also if you go too low the heater output will suffer. Minor in compairson. Way too cold will affect oil flow, and create engine wear. Also, if the oil is too cold the moisture and acid that builds up won't evaporate, causing more damage.

The acutal temp will vary depending on engine design. In most cases 140 to 160 will cause problems. Most of our cars should be over 160. Many cars used to have 180 thermostats. The present day 195 helps them to run cleaner.

Ken Styer

|UPDATED|3/10/2004 7:48:28 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

While we are on the subject, the big blocks are notorious for overheating in traffic and at idle. I'm doing an accurate restoration but a bolt-on mod to improve operating temp won't bother me. What can be done to a 427 at .030 over and 11 1/2:1 compression?
Will a clutch and fan upgrade suffice?
I'll be putting the body back on soon so now is the time to make adjustments.