My engine is running cold in this current sydney temperature, about 60 on the temp gauge .
In summer it normally runs 80 - 100 should I blank up the external oil coller or will the lower temp be ok

Can you just adjust the thermostat (or re-fit it if it's not installed)?
Otherwise run a lighter oil (lower weight).
Just a suggestion.

people say that 100-110 degrees is right any less or any more and serious damage could be done!
cheers
rhys
p.s. where is the sender coming from?

The only true oil temp sender for an air cooled engine is the dipstick oil temp sender... all others are influenced by the outside temperature....

The other thing to do... and many VW owners have gone this way... take out the temp gauge and sell it on ebay...
:o:thumb:thumb:thumb:thumb

What sort of engine are we talking about here ?

My manx is running at about 60 - 70 hits 90 if I give it a flogging. The cylinder head temps stays at about 340 - 355 though.

I don't see 60 hurting the engine, as long as you let it warm up a little first. If you get real concerned then put a power pulley on that should be good for at least 10 degrees. I can get 5 out of different fuels.

Hi

If the oil dosent warmup you dont boil away all the nasties that get into the oil, either get an inline thermostat or blank off the cooler, but keep an eye on your guage.

1302Steve

I think we're missing the issue a little. Silver has notices a sudden change in oil temp. So something has changed recently. History is always the best gauge as every motor, driving style, temperature gauge are always different.
The first thing is to find what caused the change. Is it the weather, faulty gauge, etc, as has been mentioned above? Narrow down the cause, then fix it.

68Autobug, Come over one day. I will show you what a brand new thermostat looks like, and how to check they work, as well as all the bits need to make it functional. Type 1 or type 4!!!!
Both my beetle and Kombi have functioning thermostats and flaps, I have new spares, and the motors I am building as spares will also have functioning thermostats, and I live in Brissy, where they are much less important than down south!!
I do know Mick well, I live just up the road from him, but I take his advice (and anybody else's) with a grain of salt and make my own decision. If he won't sell me a thermostat, some one else will. Infact he has given me some good flaps for free as he always removes them.
:thumb

It has gotten very much colder in Sydney,
I wish I had a thermstat, can't even find one from the wreckers that still works correctly

yep,
they are more critical in an automatic,
I did have one that half worked in my other Kombi ie I set it to be fully open when hot so it was half closed when cold

I have a 1916 with an external oil cooler (14 pass if i remember) also a external oil filter is fitted.the sender is tapped into the pressure relief valve.the only change to my set up is IRS which is making the whole thing run a little easier I guess ..
it has gotten cold suddenly in sydney and it has always run coolish 80 - 100 I can hold the dipstick ok when its hot .Maybe the first test is to block half the external cooler and see what happens

Hi Ho Silver

I waved to you this morning at the round about at Belmore rd & Forest rd, I was in the work Rodeo.

How easy is it to cover your oil cooler, I had a Beetle rally car years ago and the cooler was mounted below the rear window on the vents and I had a peice of old denim that I used to fold up and hold on with an oky strap to give diferent air flows over the cooler, it worked OK, just a pain in the bum at times.

1302Steve

Silver, I'm assuming that your external cooler is full flow? It is possible to put in a thermostat bypass so that the oil bypasses the cooler until it starts to warm up, then only runs through the cooler when it has got to operating temperature.

Sounds like the go Kol.
Just make sure the bypass is only on the cooler, not the filter!!

Hey Steve sorry i didn't notice the rodeo but who would hehe i will keep a keener eye out for you when i'm not in dream land that is...the bypass sounds a great idea and I wont have to uncover it in summer although it is easy to get at
cheers all

Hi Silver

I dont look at foreign cars either, my Rodeo does seem to stick out though, flashing lights on the roof and tools in the back.

You should be able to get an inline thermostat here;
Fabre Australia
4 Frazer St Lakemba NSW, 2195
Ph: (02) 9758 1966.

There is another good place near the end of the M2 at Seven Hills but I cant think of the name of the place, I could find out if you dont do any good at Lakemba.

1302Steve

Thanks Steve Fabre is where i got the cooler they have some serious stuff in there i will check it out