Liquidator Operating Temp

[DLDeere]

What should be the normal operating temp (coolant) range for the dator?

How long should it take at idle to get above 100?

I put in a new water temp gauge to replace one that had a broken sending unit line. Sending unit, line and gauge are all in one so all is new. I started and idled the sled for about 15 minutes and the gauge never moved off of 100. I could hold my hand on the housing where the gauge enters the engine for only about 3 seconds. Was it not above 100 yet or is the gauge not working?

Howard

[JDT]

Howard do you have access to an IR temp gun?

Once you ride it does it go up than?

Maybe a bad gauge. Can it be calibrated?

[DLDeere]

No, no and no. I haven't ridden it since putting in the temp gauge and it can't be calibrated. May be able to get an IR temp gun. What would you shoot at? Exhaust manifold?

[JDXspec]

Using a laser temp gun just shoot near the t-stat housing it should be close to the temp read at the guage. Too hot for your hand would normally say to me the eng is warmer than 100. dators do take a long time to warm up though Lots of coolant. Riding it should run about 140 most of the time (where the t-stat opens) when enough cooling is present. Ck the guage by taking it out (of the sled) and put in boiling water to ck it.

[JDT]

If you have an air bubble in the system it can cause the gauge to read low.

If you set the gauge in a pan of boiling water it may well open but that is only telling you it will open at 212 deg.
If you ran your engine coolant that hot your engine would be in dire straights.

Slowly heat up a pan of water with the t-stat in the water and a thermometer, like your wife's candy thermometer.
(spouses love it when you bring sled parts into the kitchen)
Watch the T-stat for the temp it opens. It should be very close to the temp rating of the stat.

Also if the stat opens too early the engine will take forever to heat up to the correct temp if it if only at an idle.

[nick80lf]

Slowly heat up a pan of water with the t-stat in the water and a thermometer, like your wife's candy thermometer.
(spouses love it when you bring sled parts into the kitchen)

I use a metal coffee can and the side burner on my gas grill. Keeps me in good standings with the war department.

[DLDeere]

I bled the thermosts housing and the cylider head bleed bolt so shouldn't have air locks. Ill have to check out the gauge in boiling water and see if it works.

[AirborneX4Special]

I've used the War Department's hair dryer as an emergency tool to thaw frozen pvc water line. Once. I was summarily informed that I would be the proud owner of said hair dryer and would therefore be financially responsible for the replacement unit to be selected at the owner's discretion. An explanation that my heat gun was defective and nothing else would work fell upon deaf ears.

[Dator76]

a dator will run at 165F with a tunnel cooler and 210F without cooler or thereabouts.

[DLDeere]

And that's OK at 210?

[Dator76]

no thats why they had so many problems with siezing up. you could only keep them cool by running them 50 mph. if you want to ride slower i would add a tunnel cooler the preferred one is a 78 liquifire cooler its small, light and sits behind the bulkhead. ive heard the 80 cooler can be gotten to work but im not sure how as the hoses will hit the countershaft. the 78 cooler is the correct unit built for the 78 liquifire sled and the tunnel is virtually the same as a dator. the 80 liquifire is a different sled of newer design. if you dont like the cooling fins on the 78 cooler id put them in a mill and have them removed by a machinist. ive never had trouble but i dont ride my dators in the mud...

[sledder670]

i was thinking of installing a polaris heat exchanger on the running board of the dator i am going to makle in to a rider. That way you are not trashing the tunnel, just a couple poprivets and a small hole in the belly pan for the hoses.