I told Bruce that I will record  the engine temperature on my van for him
and send it to him... I am not sure what is relevant. I did as best as I
could.

Van description.
- 1990, Tin Top Syncro.
- Rebuilt 2.1 WBX with about 5K miles.
- 14" wheels with General Grabber AT2
- Vanistan oil cooler with fan.
- Home made air scoops on both rear vents.
- Small Thule cargo box on the roof.
- Engine and radiator were recently pressure washed.
- No oil temp. and no oil pressure gauges.
- 20W50 Lucas High Zinc oil (not synthetic). Oil level is between 2 marks
on the dipstick.
- One bottle of Lucas Super Coolant in the coolant system.

The drive:
- 9 miles one way on 2 lanes country road, 4.5 miles of flat terrain (about
55 mph), 4.5 miles of twisty uphill road (about 40 mph on 3rd gear). Total
drive 18 miles.
- Temperatures are measured using a Ryobi IR gun after 9 miles out and
after 9 miles back. Ambient temperature 90°F.
- Driver only, empty van with some tools.
- Have AC but not ON.
- Some stop and go in traffic in town.
- The temp. needle stays on top of the red LED.

Temperatures measured at:
- Vanistan oil cooler: 170°F
- Hose from engine to oil cooler: 195°F
- Return hose from oil cooler: 170°F
- Oil filter: 250°F
- Heat exchanger: 268°F
- Thermostat tower: 162°F
- Coolant expansion tank: 190°F

I am not sure about the accuracy of my measurement but I tried ...  :-)
I will re-measured at a specific spot(s) if there's any request.

dan

On Mon, Jul 5, 2021 at 6:04 PM Bruce Todd <beeceetee@gmail.com> wrote:

> A quick update - came home from work and replaced the oil temp sender with
> the proper one - looked at it closely and it even said VDO on it even
> though I bought it separately from the VDO gauge.  Removed about 600
> millilitres of oil in the process and went for a drive around the City in
> after work traffic.
>
> Now I never got out on the open road so I couldn't really get going to
> check on things too much but I can say that around town stopping and
> starting in mid afternoon sunny weather I was running about 218 F with the
> first stage of the fan kicking in and out.  Not a lot of consistent air
> flow or sustained speed.  Oil pressure at idle was a little higher at 21
> psi from 18/19 yesterday - not sure if it had anything to do with draining
> the oil level down which in turn kept things a little cooler.
>
> So now it seems I am a bit more in the ballpark when it comes to oil temp
> and can start dialling things in a bit more to understand the operation of
> my motor.  I think both suggestions made quite a difference.
>
> Bruce
>