My car usually runs @ 170-180 on the stat, and when the car is
turned off it climbs to about 190-200 degrees max.

This is w/ a 180 thermostat, electric fan, and aluminum radiator.

Recently, the temp has climbed to close to 210 when shut down.
While running it stays @ 180. Question is by advancing the timing
could this bring the temp back down. I recently retarded the timing a tad and now it runs hotter than usual.

I run aluminum heads and am curious if this is too hot for the heads OR what temp is to hot to run at? thanx DUECE.

 

I wouldn't worry at all about the temperature after it's shut down.

 

The factory fan switch in these cars with electric fan turns the fan on at 230° or thereabouts..... in other words, in the factory's opinion, the engine doesn't even begin to need to be cooled, until it reaches about 230°. The fan shuts off at about 210°.... in other words, when the temp drops to that point, cooling is no longer required.

Now you may not want yours to run as warm as a new car; but that's a whole different matter. As far as being broken or not, that should give you some idea of what they did when they rolled off the production line.

Doesn't sound to me like you have a problem.

 

Thanks for the reassurance on the temperature "problem".
Like I mentioned I have just never seen it go past 205 on the
temp gauge when shut off after running the car.

Would advancing the timing make the engine run cooler?DUECE

 

It may or may not. Any adjustments in timing generally will effect cooling.

 

If I am not mistaken, advancing the timing will make it run hotter.

Also your car will get hotter for a few minutes after shutting down the engine. Once the engine is off the car no longer has a way to cool itself. The fan stops turning and the coolant stops circulating. But it only last a few minutes.

 

Not quite. Heat comes from the burning of fuel in the cylinder. The coolant absorbs heat from the heads and block and radiates it from the radiator. The moment the engine stops firing, there is no longer a source of heat and the engine begins cooling immediately. Because the coolant is no longer circulating, it can no longer dissipate heat through the radiator although it is still absorbing heat from the cooling engine. This causes the temperature of the coolant to increase, while the temperature of the engine is still decreasing. Since the temperature gauge indicates coolant temperature and not cylinder head temperature, the gauge shows an increase in temperature, which is normal.

 

^^^Very well said.^^^

Anyways, I was also under the impression that advancing timing tends to increase cylinder temperatures.

 

Well anyway, he needs to set the timing where it belongs and fix the cooling issue from there. Not from where it is set now. Advancing the timing can make the car run hotter.

 

Exactly

 

Thanks for the imput, got the timing set now.
Runs much cooler.DUECE