[ShortFinSoup]

I just fired up my 75 today in the 100+ degree heat and the needle is a little past 212. I don't remember off hand what thermostat I have, and I haven't driven the car in about a yea, but I flushed the radiator right before it parked for a while....

How worried should i be?

 

[ddouglas77]

I just fired up my 75 today in the 100+ degree heat and the needle is a little past 212. I don't remember off hand what thermostat I have, and I haven't driven the car in about a yea, but I flushed the radiator right before it parked for a while....

How worried should i be?

Not too worried, by any chance have you used "anti leak" chemicals in your car? If so, I'd gander at the possibility that they clogged your thermostat up or at least slowed it down...

 

[ShortFinSoup]

Thanx for the reply!

No, no anti-leak chemicals were used.

 

[Alfacliff]

can you check the thermo sensor? I use a harbour frieght non contact thermometer to check the temp guage calibration. it also helps to check for cool and hot spots in the radiator.
cliff

 

[Duke58]

Make sure you have properly bled the coolant system. There are several postings on how to do it, use the search feature on this BB.

Second, realizing that the system is pressurized, the water/coolant mixture won't boil until well above 212 degrees F.

Finally, the temp gauge most likely is inaccurate. I don't have any suggestions on how to calibrate the sensor, but I do know where the gauge position on my car normally is, and simply watch for changes rather than temperature measurement. I have noted that the temperature would fluctuate when the system was not bled properly.

 

[ddouglas77]

I've noticed many of times when the "rabbit terds" were used, they sometimes gunked up thermostats, some times sealing them shut or sealing them open, that is why I asked. Be sure your radiator is cleaned as well as being bled of any air, hold a shop light on one side of it and look through the other, if you can't see the light, it is time to clean the exterior of your cooling fins-BE CAREFULL doing so with pressure washers. Usually engine degreaser works fine with a water hose-less risk of bending the fins up.

 

[lowmileage]

Unless you were in traffic, I don't think you should be anywhere near that temp. My normal operating temp (granted, I don't see 100) is 175 degrees for a '73 2ltr. Later models might run hotter, but not a '74 IMO.

 

[144]

Bleed the cooling system, first from the top of the water pump, then from the top of the intake manifold.

You should have a 185-195F thermostat in there. On a Spica car, the engine needs to heat past 175F or the injection pump won't lean out to normal running.

 

[ShortFinSoup]

Thanx for the replies! I'm gonna make sure the system is properly bled.