How to read a temp gauge?

lockedup5

lockedup5

overcompensating underachiever
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Location
Burke County (Hildebran)
OK I'm usually pretty smart but I'm kinda baffled. When I swapped to my 6.0 I had to installed new gauges. Through research I know I don't need to run this engine hotter than 240 degrees. Bad thing is I have no clue where 240 is on this gauge.
My question is is the last big mark 240 or 250?

May seem like a stupid question but if you notice the middle numbers/marks are 30 degree difference. Would the last mark change for some reason?
IMG_20160920_175625637.jpg
 
Don't go over the second to last mark, and you should be good. :D

On a serious note, not sure how you would read that either. I just ordered a set from Speedway for one of my circle track cars. They read the same way, some are 30 degree increments, some are 20, the first is 40.
 
Just goes to show there's a good 10 degree range of error on the gauge...
 
If you have a stock 195* thermostat, a big enough radiator, and sufficient cooling fans, it'll run 198 degrees. I'd be looking for it to run dead between 180 and 210 on the gauge.

If you drop to a 160*, it'll run 176-178 degrees and up to about 195 if it gets hot.
 
If you were to measure the distance in radians you'd find the guage to be accurate.

Parabolic curves and such
 
The way I do it is to split each major number. The last mark is 250 the small half mark is 230 the next major mark is 210. If it gets to the last small mark it's at 230 and its time to start getting it cooled down.

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If you're not ocd you can do like they do in race cars and set the gauges so their normal operating range is straight up. Then you can tell at a glance if anything is wrong because you'd see a needle pointing to the left or right of vertical.

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OK just called automated and the last big mark is 250. I've never ran it over the last small mark which would be 230 so I'm good.
Only gets that high on a really strep climb or if I'm really wrong it for a long period of time.
 
Tim C said:
If you're not ocd you can do like they do in race cars and set the gauges so their normal operating range is straight up. Then you can tell at a glance if anything is wrong because you'd see a needle pointing to the left or right of vertical.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
there's something to this
 
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