question for non-north american 80 owners and owners of NA 91-92s

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semlin

semlin

curmudgeon
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Hi Folks,

I am asking that any owners of 80 series trucks originating from anywhere but north america, as well as 91-92 80 NA owners comment on the way their stock temp gauge works. The question is whether your temp gauge habitually moves up to a certain spot quickly and then stays there regardless of driving conditions, or whether it fluctuates once it is warm. If it moves around, please describe how much it moves and when.

As some of you will know from reading this thread https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?p=655140#post655140 (and others), the 93-97 stock temp gauge has an engineered flat spot so that no movement is seen once it warms up until the vehicle is on the verge of overheating. This prevents soccer moms from getting the vapours, but given the h/g issues with the 1fz-fe motor, the ability to run on a sustained basis at a high temp is not good. Raventai is attempting to engineer a mod to the gauge, but we also want to verify there is no more sensitive gauge made for the 80 in another market.

anyway thanks in advance for any light you can shed
 
semlin said:
The question is whether your temp gauge habitually moves up to a certain spot quickly and then stays there regardless of driving conditions, or whether it fluctuates once it is warm.
Click to expand...


The former, virtually identical in behavior to the truck in California. Might as well just draw a line on the face of the gauge.
 
well, mine pretty much goes to the middle and stays there once hot, itll go over on hotter days-100+ idling in one spot too long, i.e drive through, etc.

the 60 guage seems to fluctuate a little more, in that it doesnt always go the same spot depending on weather, but it hardly goes to the halfway point unless theres a coolant system problem.
 
Semlin,
My rig is a 1992 (prod 11/91):
I can tell you about my guage. It stays put and does not move. I had a close eye on it with a recent trip down to one of our events and that day was in the mid 90º's. The temp guage did not move in any condition. However, I did notice that the tranny light come on the moment I decelerated for gas. Additionally, I burned up some 2 quarts of oil for the entire trip.

Hope this helps.

Jim
 
skyshark, very interesting. that is kind of the way I remember my brother's old 91 as well. So if I understand you right it goes to a certain point but will move. Can you describe what would make it move 1/4 or 1/2" in any direction. Also, do you know what thermostat you have installed?
 
I have a made in japan HDJ80 and the gauge usually sits 1/4 of the way at idle and city driving .... on the highway and under loads the gauge goes up to the 1/2 of the gauge...


It has never gone over 1/2 ... but i still don't trust this gauge... looking to replace it soon ... once RavenTai draws a conclusion!
 
Here's the scoop on the "dead-zone".

The stock gauge reads "in the middle" from just at 140 degrees all the way up to 215-218 degrees. Only then does it budge upward. a 75 degree swing for "operating temperature" seems to be a bit of a stretch to me. At about 1/2 way between the middle and the bottom of the red is around 220 to 223. I have had my A/C cut out in the past but not since the installation of my mechanical gauge. Based on what I have observed I think that 226 is about 2 needle-widths below the bottom of the red on the stock gauge.


Dunno what the bottom of the red equals on the mechanical and forgive me if I do not offer to find out for y'all......:flipoff2:

D-
 
semlin said:
skyshark, very interesting. that is kind of the way I remember my brother's old 91 as well. So if I understand you right it goes to a certain point but will move. Can you describe what would make it move 1/4 or 1/2" in any direction. Also, do you know what thermostat you have installed?
Click to expand...

Ohh...say its warm and I got to pass someone on the interstate and it downshifts and I hold it there for a minute or so. It will fudge upwards a little. Then go back down after a bit once it shifts again.
 
well that is odd. Skyshark I would say you are an outlier right now. We need some other 91 owners to pipe up. the 92s sound the same as the 93-97s.

meanwhile we have an oz 1990 diesel with a flat spot and a JDM 96 diesel with what sounds like cold temp sensitivity only.

keep'em coming
 
Mine stays in the middle between H and C once it's warmed up. Doesn't fluctuate that much at all even with high temps.
 
92 NA 3fe80-gets to temp ( A bit below mid line) and stays there all day long all idle speeds, all driving conditions, low range, Moab, Mud, highway, city, etc, etc, etc.
 
My 91 was rock solid when my radiator blew. It stayed right in the middle and then spiked. I didn't know I was overheating until it was way too late.

That being said...new rad, hoses, thermo, fan, yadda yadda yadda.

Good as new! lol
 
Mine gets to a certain temp quickly then stays there
reguardless of driving conditions..
 
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