Hi everyone,

Just wanted to get some feedback from owners of carbed 350 engines on the normal operating temps of your cars.

Mine seems to cruise around 190F-210F when at idle/slow cruise.

I've been tuning and adjusting so your input is very appreciated.
I know that a leaner engine runs hotter/ richer runs cooler.

Thanks

 

i have a 350 crate and it has a 195 thermostat. it stays right on 190 unless im really pushing it.

 

look at sig for info, running 160-170 and even cooler at night.

 

im running around 165 on the highway and about 175 in town...

 

I like mine to run 190-200, which is hwere it makes the most power and gets the best mileagle. Others may get better results running a little cooler - especially the TPI cars with the aluminum runners to heat up intake air. When I swapped the 350 in, I originally had it running about 170 or so - but a few hot days where the temperature climbed to about 200 and feeling how good the car ran at that temp made me up the operating temperature. Honestly at the track - the car runs about the same at any temp - unless its ice cold (then it stumbles), but on the street 200 is about right.

 

i run at like 150-170 in traffic the other day stuck looked like a parking lot sittin for like 5 mins i look down see 155im like wtf thinkin i should make it run warmer.

i hope im not running rich just put a cat on for first time at w00t the cat makes a wierd smell. but im getting good gas milage compared to what i was getting before i messed with the a/f settings idles smooth at 550 rpm also

 

About 185*-190* with a 180* stat in it. On hot days if I whip on it some and then slow down immediately to a slow cruise (such that only the cooling fan is pulling air through the rad) it will shoot up to about 215-220* but it will work it's way back down in a few minutes. I have a fresh rad and water pump that were installed at the same time as the new engine. Also, my 350 has cast iron heads on it which don't throw as much heat into the cooling system as aluminum heads would.

I personally beleive that the weak link in my system is the stock single fan more than anything else (it was a former TBI car). If I could get some serious airflow through the rad (better/more fans) it would probably be even more stable temp wise at low speeds on hot days.

Don't forget about the notorious gague inaccuracy of many 3rd gens.