How hot is too hot?

[MercuryMarc]

Just got back from a 500 mile road trip to Reno over a 7,000 foot mountain pass with my Comet. In San Francisco temps are 180-195 on the freeway, and 180-205 in stop and go traffic. Running 12 degrees advance had some pinging on the uphill route so I filled up with 91 octane (was using regular 87) and the knocking resolved. The car ran 190-210 most of the way with a slight grade, increasing elevation, speed 60-70, and outside temps 80 degrees. But near the summit (steeper grade at 70 mph) the temps went to 225 degrees for a few minutes. The rest of the time the car never got over 215 degrees. Cruised in Reno-Sparks for an hour in 1 mph parade with fan keeping the car 190-215 degrees cycling on and off the fan.

I am running:
2 year old 3 row Mustang replacement rad
(smaller inlet/outlet hose openings than the 250's hoses)
Electric Pusher Fan - Derale 14 inch Tornado
Temp switch T'd into T-stat housing, Adjusted to start at 215 degees
180 degree T-stat
*Edit added -13 lb radiator cap w/recovery tank-end Edit*
Tranny Cooler

My question is...
Is 225 degrees too hot on the toughest part of the journey?

Thanks!

(PS- biggest mechanical breakdown of the trip - lost a hubcap 50 miles from home on the way back!!!)

 

[fordconvert]

225 should still be well within the limits of a pressurized system with the proper mix of antifreeze and water. I used to have a chart from someone like prestone but I cant find it on my computer or on any of the sites at the moment.

 

[Harte3]

High elevation air is thinner and doesn't carry away heat like sea level air does.

 

[xzerokidx]

I'll say those sound like pretty normal numbers to me. The only thing you have to worry about is finding another hubcap.

 

[fb71]

same issue I had with oil temp in the bike when I rode cross country and back in 2005. Coming up the mountain from LA, the oil temp stayed a bit higher than normal, and climbing Vail Pass in Colorado, it got very hot, almost to the point I would start to worry. Got to the top before I had to worry, though.

 

[MercuryMarc]

Thanks everyone-
I guess I have nothing to worry about. I will move the transmission cooler a little off to the side of the radiator to see if that helps on the highway. But I am no longer in "panic" mode.

 

[rbohm]

8) your temps are a bit hotter than i like to see them, but not too hot at all. these days race cars are designed to run about 220 all day long, and even when temps get up around 240-250 they start getting nervous, but consider it at the top of the normal range.