i know this is a dumb question but im new to rotaries and i have to know, so... what is the opperating temp of a 79 12a? even dumber question: where should the temp needle be pointing at operating temp? my gauge has cold at 7 o'clock and hot at 9 o'clock... i understand that you can absoultly never let a rotary over heat. doesnt it warp the rotar and chambers or something? any info on this is welcome.

is exhaust temp anything to worry about? i know that rotary engine exhaust is a lot hotter than piston exhaust. would an EGT gauge be a good investment or not worry about it?

 

yeap, it is a dumb question

thermostat should start to open at 180 F and be fully open at 203 F. That should give you an idea.

On the guage, fully operating temp would probably be at 7:35, give or take a minute

 

As for oil temperature, get a long-probed compost bin thermometer. Make sure it's long enough to fit down the dipstick hole and into the hot oil in the pan. Oil temp should always be a couple degrees away from water temp. Of course this is oil that has just left the rotors and is rather hot. Oil entering the engine (from the cooler) should never be above I think 205ºF.

Of course if you want a permanent oil temperature guage, you could aways get some aftermarket guages. The stock water temp guage is hit or miss as far as accuracy is concerned.

 

Now that is an interesting idea Jeff, that for that!

 

Why, thankyou.

Here are a couple links to get an idea of what the thermometer looks like. I assume either one would be ok. Just measure your dipstick and compare it to the thermometer to see if it'll reach to the bottom of the pan. These are like 20".

http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Lawn_an...st_Thermometer
http://www.epinions.com/pr-Compostin...st_Thermometer
http://www.globeorganic.co.uk/pricelist_ct.htm