so-call normal temp for M30 motor?

[mini612]

I finally completed my swap (M30b34 into E30) and currently working on bleeding my cooling system. I am not sure if I got it right but my temp sits slightly, and yes it's just slightly pass the middle marker despite driving or at a stop. Even when I drove it on main roads for over 10 miles at 40 to 45 miles an hour. When I turn the bleeder no air bubbles but a stream of coolant. I have good hot heat coming through the vents! I do have an exterior fan 16" that is blowing good air through the radiator and into the engine bay, it sits right on the radiator so that air can't escape. Engine runs fine, idles fine, and runs GREAT!!!

Is this it, am I done? Am I almost where I should be with my temp? More air in my system? Do I have a head gasket issue, no coolant in oil, no milky-chocolate stuff in coolant resavior or its' cap? No signs of any form of leaks on the engine bay.

thanks

[sayed ali]

May be temp gauge issues...

What's your thermostat degree number?

[mini612]

May be temp gauge issues...

What's your thermostat degree number?

If I remember correctly I think it was 176 degrees. I bought it brand new and installed while engine was out prior to the swap.

[sayed ali]

So 176F = 80C

Try to use 71C thermostat which is = 159.8F

[mini612]

So 176F = 80C

Try to use 71C thermostat which is = 159.8F

so what my gauge is reading right now is correct if I was using the 80c thermostat?

I understand that overheating is always a worry/concern but do I have to worry about this if I use the 176f thermostat?

I don't want to take the thermostat housing apart again and bleed the system again, I know I don't have to bleed it intensively like how I did before.

Let me know.

[sayed ali]

Yeah your temp gauge now is reading right and it's ok since it's not goes above that level either when you are driving or stop.. buy I'd better put the 71C as I don't like to see my temp gauge even at the middle :)

[mini612]

Yeah your temp gauge now is reading right and it's ok since it's not goes above that level either when you are driving or stop.. buy I'd better put the 71C as I don't like to see my temp gauge even at the middle :)

LOL... yes, I also do not like my temp gauge staying there, so I just ordered a 71c thermostat. I should receive it soon.

[Bearmw]

My temp at the thermostat is steady around 185 degrees (a bit below the half way mark on the gauge) when fully warmed up and at highway speed with full airflow through the radiator. In stop and go the temp at the t-stat will go up as high as 215 (over half way on the gauge but still not in the red) and come back down to around 185-190 as the radiator fan kicks on when the coolant in the switch rises above about 180. The coolant temp at the radiator fan switch is lower than at the t-stat (as measured with infrared sensor) which is why the temp at the t-stat will rise up to 215 in traffic. When the radiator switch kicks the fan on at around 180 then the overall engine temp is again reduced down to the 185-190 range including at the t-stat. Then when the temp is reduced the fan shuts off and then temps begin to rise again.

[SpeicherBimmer]

I know I will probably get flamed for this, but I'm not running a Tstat right now. I bought a fan for my swap but it turned out to be crap. I really wanted to get my swap done and there are very few stops signs or traffic lights in this part of Germany so I am almost continually moving. I pulled the tstat out to avoid any over heating issues. My gauge gets up to just below half way if I am idling for a while and normal driving it sits at around the 1/4 mark..Which is where I would want it if I had a tstat in anyway so I might just wait to get the fan hooked up until I get back to the terrible stop and go of ATL in December...I noticed that the system was infinitely easier to bleed with no tstat as well...Are there any big negatives to running with no tstat? Anybody else running no tstat?

[jim325]

The coolant temp has an effect on the amount of gas that is going into the engine. If your reading 1/4 hot then your ecu is likley adding more fuel than it needs to. It is trying to warm the car up to operating temperature, 1/2 way on the gauge. There is a reason they put thermostats in cars. The car is supposed to be running at it's "best" when your at operating temperature, pretty much halfway on the gauge, assuming everything else is in order.

You'r not helping your car by running it at 1/4 and your not helping it by trying to run it at anything less than 1/2. If for some reason it isint running at 1/2, something is wrong and you should fix it. Not take all the important items out of the system and "run it till something bad happens".

[mini612]

Finally got the cooling system bleeded and everything is good now. My temp gauge still sits slight/very slightly pass the 1/2 marker. It won't go over and go under despite in traffic, complete stop, and in this hot heat. The temp over this pass weekend was harsh in MN, it was very humid and above 90 degrees. I cruised around Phalen Park in mid day when it was hot and freaken humid, everything was fine, but I didn't have a hood and my muffler was not hooked up....this thing was grabbing lots of attention while I was driving around the lake.

I ran into an issue but I hope I figured it out. I need my exhaust to be fabricated as soon as I could if I want to take this car out again. Currently I am using 2 inch flex steel exhaust pips and had to bend 1 of the pips heavily so that it can be mated to the exhaust manifold. By doing this not enough exhaust fumes were getting out and the car stalled and sounded like something was broken in the head and died. It will only stall and die when the car is at a stop/park. During start-up and most of the times, the car idles good with no knocking sounds or other abnormal sounds from the head.