RE: [alfa] How Hot Can You Run a GTV

["Brian Shorey" <bshorey@xxxxxxxxx>]

> I'm experimenting to see if I can cool my GTV with AC with a
> single 10" pusher fan and no mechanical fan. So far I'm
> having fun. I wired an on/off switch for the fan. I drove
> from LA to Pasadena and back this afternoon with stops at the
> post office and grocery store and some semi-heavy traffic and
> never switched the fan on. The car never reached 200 degrees
> Fahrenheit. I figure the markings on the temp gauge are 175,
> 194, 213, 231 and 250. Yesterday, tootling around the AC on,
> the car was running at about 200-205 degrees. How hot can
> these engines run for an extended period of time? Am I going
> to damage the engine on a hot day if the temp stays a steady
> 215 or 225 degrees?

First, you should probably check the gauge to see how accurate it is.  In my
experience, poor connections to the gauge, or faulty signals, usually result
in false high readings.  even a normally functioning gauge usually reads a
little high.

So you might want to stop by a radiator shop or a mechanic with a
thermocouple and see if you can borrow a thermocouple so you can check the
accuracy of your gauge first.

That said, I think you can run it safely over 210, as the effective boiling
point has been raised due to the system being under pressure.  The real key
is to watch for signs of boiling over, you don't want that to happen
regardless of what the temperature is..

My Spider regularly indicates 240 - 260 ish on the track, it's never boiled
over or blown anything up.  In street driving, 180 - 200 ish.

YMMV,

bs
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