Hey is this normal... I have a brand new rebuilt motor in my car. Everything has been fine and I put maybe 1500 miles on it in the last 4 weeks. (I'm trying to really get the break in miles on it) when it had around 500 miles the temps would stay between 180-190f even in light traffic. Now it stays at 190 and goes to 200 in light traffic. What I'm trying to ask here is it normal for the motor as it breaks in to run a little hotter?

 

Have the ambient temperatures been relatively constant in your area for the last four weeks?

 

You are most likely just seeing the difference in the midwest weather. Since we were spoiled for the last few weeks in the upper 70's to low 80's, the cars are going to run hotter now that it's into the 90's (which is back to normal for the time of year).

 

As ambient temps go up, so does the car's temp obviously.

Even if the degrees are low or relatively low, mid 70s, 80s etc, but theres alot of humidity, the car will still run hot.

 

Got yea. That does sound right because it has been hotter around here lately. Thanks guys.

 

180 F. to 200 F. (82 C. to 94 C. ) isn't hot. Depending on your thermosensor, the fans won't even kick on until 95 C. or 108 C.)

 

Anything > 100 C and I would be concerned, I never see higher than 98 C even when climbing a hill in 4th gear with 92 F ambient temps...in normal driving conditions in summer I never get above 92 C

Might be time to upgrade to Koyo or Fluidyne

 

well out here in the good ol Mojave desert.....today it was 105 F. I've gotten up to 115 C once last summer but this summer i've only seen 105C... i'm ready for the heat though.. dual aftermarket oilcoolers with fans and ducting.

 

i have a koyo radiator.. and a huge front mount. I think the front mount is what kills it cause the koyo isn't getting enough air flow. My fans are on all the time because i turn on the a/c even though I don't have it installed in the car. If I didn't have them on the temps shot straight up

 

Do the temps shoot up even at speed? Do you have proper ducting to the FMIC and radiator? If you don't, there is no way the coolant temperature will stay controlled at speed, even with the fans running. The radiator needs the air from the fornt of the car to be directed through the radiator to do that.

 

the temps do go up when the car is above 85mph. I know the intercooler is getting enough cold air but i know the koyo isn't. The radiator is still in the stock location and i have the under tray to push the air into it but its still not enough. Im actually trying to figure something out today. I might put some spacers on the bolts that hold the under-tray so that it scoops more air from underneath.

p.s. i am eventully going to do a v-mount because i don't think having a fmic on a rx7 is ideal.

 

My car this morning (stock smic), koyo radiator:
Highway cruising 70-75mph, light boost here and there.
Water: 95 C
Air: 59 C
Ambient: 77 F, 65% Humidity (Real Feel: 97*)

just posting so you have something to compare to.

 

Dave

 

This is why I would never use a FMIC, V Mount is the best set-up, and SMIC is second

 

I think your right, I sealed it up a little better and aligned it more evenly and hopefully that helps a little bit. I am still going to do a v-mount, I got a shop up here that will fabricate one up for me using my front mount and my radiator.

 

I need a shop that will do that, I'd love to get rid of the ugly M2 fiberglass duct for my medium SMIC and replace it with an aluminum duct

 

Just curious, do you guys have the radiator fans running full time during the summer? I haven’t switch out the thermosensor, so my fans don’t kick in till 108 C. I usually have to turn AC full blast to activate the fans. (not fun, since my A/C doesn’work) It’s 110+ F here in Phoenix and my FD would usually get up to 105 C, that’s with a PFS SMIC and Koyo radiator. But if I have the fans running, it’ll stay between 89-93 C.

 

if your AC doesnt work, just remove the AC relay in the relay box underneath the hood and use the AC button to turn on/off the fans.

Thats what i do if i sprint the car a bit and come to a dead stop or if i sit in traffic.

Which also i wanna say that FMIC isnt THAT bad to have.

I have a FMIC and the STOCK radiator and i was stuck on the turnpike for a full hour DEAD stop in 95 degree weather and car maintained 205-208F with the fans on.

Like it was literally bumper to bumper and it took me a full hour to complete a full exit. Which is IIRC 2 miles long. I hated that day. I was sweating my *** off in that car lol

 

Or fix the A/C. For the love of God, "dry heat" or not, 110 F. ambient is hot! I can't imagine not having A/C here in the mid-west, let alone where you live.

FWIW, I have a Fluidyne and PFS SMIC with functioning AC and an FC thermoswitch, stock fans and about 30/70 coolant to water ratio. A couple of days ago it was about 96 F. here, in air you could almost swim in. Cruising temps were 86 C. on the commander. After boost it would rise to about 96 C. but then fall back.

 

its been very warm here lately so your water temps should rise as long as you have enough coolent and the temps are staying warm not o **** hot you should be okay.

 

I dont normally drive the car in hot weather anyway. Theres no point.

I have another car to beat up in extreme weather conditions and its very convenient to not care about the little things you would when you drive the FD.

I wanna enjoy my drives when i drive my car, meaning open air, boosting etc etc. If its too damn hot out, ill stick my *** inside the house with AC lol

 

Thanks for the tip, I think I’ll pull the relay until I get A/C fix. I need to get around to doing the FC thermosensor mod and getting fan temp setting on my Power FC set lower. What temp do most people do on Power FC setting, 90 C?

Luckily, the FD is not my daily driver. If it were, I would have had A/C fixed long ago. I went a couple of summers without A/C on my old FC back when I was in school. I would be drench in sweat on every commute and have to take a shower every time I got out of the car. Ahhh, good times….

 

my condensor had so many holes in it from being ghetto rigged by the previous owner... I just broke down today and took it all out....

 

Thanks for the info, I am having the same issue, I have a rebuild engine I just got back in the middle of December and my 7 was running around 180 F back then but as time went on around March it was getting to 190 F and now it’s running at 190 to 200 F and I wasn’t sure why, If 180 to 200 F isn’t that hot then I am good.

Thanks for the post Oscypek1007!

 

i have same set up, ran piping from lower oil cooler ducts to front of rad, cut inch high slot -12 inch long over licence plate _bent soft metal plate down to rad. droped temp at least 10 degree celcis