Quote:

Condensation doesn't need to be boiled out water evaporates at much lower than 212*. There is no reason to run older engines higher than 195. Older engines run much better at 180-185*.



Not disagreeing necessarily, but why is the OE t-stat a 195 degree unit then? If 180-185 is the "sweet spot" then why did the factory not use 180 degree units? I am guessing they didn't see a problem with running at 195 degrees is my logic. Not to say I think running much over 200 degrees for extended periods is a good idea either.

Oh well, I will just have to run it and see what happens. What are first signs of engine overheat I should look for? It is a BB stroker and the original block so I don't want to risk blowing this up.

Would advancing or retarding timing influece this at all? I had it at 18 degrees initial but rolled it back to 16 as it would ping slightly under load on a hot day.