What temperature does your roadster run at?

TR · Post by TR » Sat Jun 04, 2005 9:11 pm

Stock setups are fine, they will work as needed when in good condition. Noboday said they wouldn't. It is just hard to ignore an aluminum core for a fraction of the price when the stock setup wears out.

From the temps people are claiming their cars run at, it appears that a lot of people are not using a thermastat. That'll decrease your plug life and even leave carbon in your combustion chamber, in addition to worse fuel mileage and emissions. Put a tstat in there - you, your car and the environment will be happy you did!

Post by **dbrick** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 9:12 pm

Update temp gauge now works, rad getting hot top and bottom, warms up fast with no engine fan. Elec. fan thermostat will get dunked in boiling water tomorrow as soon as my wife finds the recipe and can make me some. Have no scoop yet, but then again it doesn't move yet, so nothing to scoop.
Runs like crap, but it runs. should sort out carbs by Monday or call Keith for a set of rebuilds. They are so simple it makes them complex.
As usual Keith is providing tech support via email, and I haven't bought a thing from him except a manifold 9 months ago. Great guy.

By the way, there is someone on Ebay selling NEW Del sol Aluminum single 1 inch core radiators for $51.00 delivered!! He has over 3800 sales and 100% feedback. The 1 inch core is reputed to cool better than double 1/2inch cores.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... gory=33602

SLOroadster · Post by **SLOroadster** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 10:17 pm

My car runs at 160 or cooler. It can be 105 and driving hard, and it will stay at about 160. I have seen it cool off one night while running fast down the freeway and hit a cold spot (the ambiant temp dropped at least 20 degrees, I went from comfortable to cold instantly.) I watched the gauge fall to about 120. I'm not going to complain, it doesn't ping on hot days, and at 10.7:1 compression, thats a very good thing.

Will

Post by **dbrick** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 10:30 pm

Can't complain about those numbers Will. Is that with a thermostat? and which fan?

Bungle · Post by **Bungle** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:16 am

Scoop? Are you guys talking about the one on the bonnet? If not then I may be missing something... Can someone explain where are what I should be looking for - if poss. a photo?!? I'm thinking something below the rad. to push air up into it???? Certainly don't have anything like that but have thought about it...

Post by **dbrick** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 10:34 am

Yup, goes below and if front of rad, here's a pic

Cochecita · Post by **Cochecita** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 1:08 pm

What a perfectly timed discussion, I've been concerned about overheating lately and wether or not my temperature sender is accurately working.

How do you know the temperature that is being displayed on the guage? Mine is running just above the F in the center of the guage, but starts sneaking up a bit in traffic.

I remember some talk about using "Water Wetter" to run a few degrees cooler. I'm going to put some in and see what happens, too bad it's raining today so results will have to wait a few days. Anyone else using this in there coolant?

Have a great day

Eddie
68' 1600

Daryl Smith · Post by **Daryl Smith** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 8:24 pm

I have to agree with most of the replies here also.
My 1600 used to run great @ 190* around town no matter what the ambient temp was, and slowly rise when I went over ~3000 rpm. I started to avoid highways when possible. I had the radiator recored with three rows and it didn't make a difference. I checked and changed the thermostat also with no change.
When I put in the DIS system and got a decent map the temp dropped to about 170* and stayed there regardless of the RPM. Further advance brought the temp up to 190* (steady) and the car ran great.

For those whose temp rises on the highway, I would think it would be a good idea to check that your advance mechanisms are working properly,
as mentioned earlier, retarded timing can cause overheating. your timing may be correct at idle, but not nescessarily at 2500+ rpm.

Also the argument for the Del Sol radiator is a good one. It is more efficient. Can be bought for less than cost to repair your old radiator. And the MOST IMPORTANT POINT (to me) is it will be much LIGHTER. (probably- I'm guessing - about half the weight) For the performance minded, every pound counts, and I would think that is a weight savings of 5 or 6 pounds anyway.

my $0.02

SLOroadster · Post by **SLOroadster** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 9:35 pm

Yes thats with at thermostat, I thought it was a 180, but if that were so, it would never open. I have the 7 blade turbine, soon to be lost for an electric (because I don't need a 747 attached to the front of my engine.)

Will

Post by **dbrick** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 9:56 pm

Will, If you want to, you can make up a spacer for the waterpump and run a $20.00 universal flex fan, cool great and are quiet. High pitch at slow speed, blades flatten at high RPM. The permacool 16" s blade I put in is loud. If you have the same waterpump shaft as I do, there is very little room betweem the end of the shaft and the radiator, not enough for the Permacool, have to get the really thin expensive fan, that's why I went with the pusher fan on the front.

I'll email the pics of mine if it's any help, and the guy who made my spacer charged me $20.00, he would make another for the same.

Bungle · Post by **Bungle** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:57 am

dbrick wrote:Yup, goes below and if front of rad, here's a pic

aaaaaah crap. time to begin 'fabricating'........

spyder · Post by **spyder** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 9:25 am

Or try this.........
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... gory=10076

Post by **spl310** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:57 pm

Just a word of caution - Nissan strikes again with a design change. They changed the mounting on the 67.5 and later cars and that is a later one. But there is good news (no, I didn't save a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico...), the late can be converted to the early fairly easily! Check the info on Rallye's website:

http://www.datsunroadster.com/PIC_PAGES ... 214-01.htm

Enjoy!

twinight · Post by **twinight** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:47 pm

dbrick wrote:Will, If you want to, you can make up a spacer for the waterpump and run a $20.00 universal flex fan, cool great and are quiet. High pitch at slow speed, blades flatten at high RPM.

I'll email the pics of mine if it's any help, and the guy who made my spacer charged me $20.00, he would make another for the same.

That's similar to what I'm running. I tossed the original fan when I first got the car. BTW spacers are avaliable off the shelf at Pep Boys in varying thicknesses for under 15 bucks.
Best part is with a flex fan is I can use a socket wrench on the crankshaft when adjusting valves.

Post by **dbrick** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:06 pm

Maybe Nissan had an early version of the "limp home mode" I'm wondering if the 7 blade can actually be used to pull the car forward like a propeller in case of drivetrain failure?!?