LUVTruck.com

well i was just wondering from the pros here, well i drive my 75 back and forward from school. well as u guys might alredy know i have the 20R engine and 5speed tranny (toyotat tranny and engine) well i do like 30 min. back and forward driving to school and back and i really dont trust the temp gauge in my truck so i poped the hood and well i temp it with a lil temp gun i use for my rc cars and it reads 185*-200* is that too hot or is it just me? and also has anyone had good look with a diffrent radiator that fits in stock location if so wich one?

The temp reading is not out of line. 200 F could be because you have shut down the engine. The temp climbing is normal when you just shut down the engine. You might want to get the radiator rodded out just to play it safe. But if it lives under 200 degrees, you shouldn't let it worry you.

_________________
Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

where should i temp it? because i took these reading from all over the engine. and the engine was running, tomorrow ill get on the freeway and temp it when i get to my house

The best place to temp it is at the thermostat housing. Thats were the temp element is for the dash gage. It's where the upper radiator hose connects to the top of the engine. This way you can compare the 2 readings and know basicly what the temp reading is at the gage. How accurate is the temp gun? Testing the cylinder head around the exhaust manifold will most likely give you a higher than normal reading because of the hot exhaust gases. The thermostat housing is the hottest area of the cooling system. All you want to test is the cooling system. The exhaust WILL be way hotter than 180 degrees so dont test near it. Im assuming that the gage on the dash has a white area on it that shows the normal temp range. Where does the needle basicly point?

_________________
Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

i remeber this topic being broght up on an off roading forum not too long ago. Go here http://www.pirate4x4.com and go to the toyota pickup and 4runner forum and seach for opperating temp. You should be able to find alot of good info there.

_________________
1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

ok well i temped right by the cooling system and it reads 185 my temp gun is 5-10* off so real life its around 195 the hottest after a 45min drive

195 degrees isn't too bad. Not enough to freak out about it. You might want to back-flush the radiator just to play it safe.

_________________
Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

ok thanks for all the help guys

hehe 195*, dont worry before i rebuilt the rad. in my luv it was running about 220*

_________________
1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...