Engine Temperature Gauge, where does yours average

[dyeager535]

Yep, sure is. The color designates the resistance. Somewhere I wrote down a few of the values as I was going through my cluster hardwire project.

 

[Chief Brody]

OK, so mine ran hot today and stalled out. Did not blow any water out. Had to get it towed home.

 

[chulisohombre]

That sucks chief.

 

[mrk5]

When I drove today after changing distributor, plugs and wires and setting timing to 12* my gauge was consistent at the 75% or 3rd mark of the idiot gauge. It used to run just right of straight up center.
I wonder if 12* is not where it needs to be and I need to change the timing or is the 3/4 mark normal?

This is the gauge style:

Let me know if the Timing works for you. I've given up on mine, the gauge looks like this whether it's 60* or 115* outside...

View attachment 304205 View attachment 304206

Interesting, I didn't realize there are so much differences in the temp gauges. My 73 is the only one I still have the factory gauge in and it's like @fordsucks! except that the range is 100 to 250 so that halfway would be 175. I would guess a gauge on a 74 would have the same range as my 73 which would mean a tick to the right of straight up is about 180 and I'm betting that's what your thermostat is.

I know several have mentioned the timing, but it's hard for me to think 10 would be a problem. If anything in my book it's not enough depending on how you have the vacuum advance hooked up. I usually run my timing anywhere from 12 to 18 BTDC. Granted I live at 5K elevation, but still can't believe 10 is a problem. Plus I always run the vacuum advance to manifold vacuum so I'm pulling closer to 22 to 30 BTDC at idle. Ported vacuum is for emissions crap so I wouldn't use unless I absolutely had to.

Incidentally the reason they hooked up the vacuum advance to ported vacuum was so that it would idle hotter and make the emissions equipment work better. This was all done in the early days of emissions equipment when they did a lot of band aid fixes.

 

[Chief Brody]

Interesting, I didn't realize there are so much differences in the temp gauges. My 73 is the only one I still have the factory gauge in and it's like @fordsucks! except that the range is 100 to 250 so that halfway would be 175. I would guess a gauge on a 74 would have the same range as my 73 which would mean a tick to the right of straight up is about 180 and I'm betting that's what your thermostat is.

I know several have mentioned the timing, but it's hard for me to think 10 would be a problem. If anything in my book it's not enough depending on how you have the vacuum advance hooked up. I usually run my timing anywhere from 12 to 18 BTDC. Granted I live at 5K elevation, but still can't believe 10 is a problem. Plus I always run the vacuum advance to manifold vacuum so I'm pulling closer to 22 to 30 BTDC at idle. Ported vacuum is for emissions crap so I wouldn't use unless I absolutely had to.

Incidentally the reason they hooked up the vacuum advance to ported vacuum was so that it would idle hotter and make the emissions equipment work better. This was all done in the early days of emissions equipment when they did a lot of band aid fixes.

I need to get another manifold vacuum tree that has a couple more smaller hookups. I'd prefer to run mine straight to manifold.

 

[mrk5]

I apologize if this is an insulting question, but you are setting the timing with the vacuum advance plugged?

 

[Chief Brody]

I apologize if this is an insulting question, but you are setting the timing with the vacuum advance plugged?

checking it with tube pulled away from vacuum advance and golf tee stuck in the end of the tube so the carburetor don't suck air