What is considered safe/normal for the ECT reading? (turbo)

[qwk]

For the ECT reading in K-Pro, between what numbers are considered normal/safe on a turbocharged application? ANd what is considered overheating?

My temp gauge on my cluster doesnt work. I drove the car to my tuner shop to have some suff installed (including a Water temp gauge) and the ECT jumped as high as 230 (city + freeway driving). Today was the first time driving the car in the hot weather, around 100-102 degrees.

I am turbocharged so my manifold and turbo will make my engine bay a lot hotter. My headgasket is fine. I am not losing coolant and my resovoir bottle doesnt fill up or change. The ECT on a cool night is always steady at 183-186.

(If it matters, its a built k20a2 motor in a 2000 Civic with a Koyo Radiator (half size). manifold if a Full-Race sidemount with a GT4088R turbo)

[IT1ONBOOST]

OIl and Coolant levens good I'm assuming.
You try setting your Fan switch to come on at a lower temp? I have mine at 180.

[qwk]

OIl and Coolant levens good I'm assuming.
You try setting your Fan switch to come on at a lower temp? I have mine at 180.

Yes, oil and coolant levels are good. No leaks or burningof or anything.

My fan switch is wired to stay running all the time

[IT1ONBOOST]

you haven't used any stop leak type fluids have you? Over time those subtances can collect and clog coolant passages. other wise I don't know what else to do but drain flush and refill....
Good luck bro

[crucian]

My turbocharged civic always seemed to run very hot during the summer and my friend's is the same. He runs his fan all the time and it still overheated. What he did was take the thermostat out and now it stays around 180. Ocassionally it goes up to 210+ but then it cools down quicker.

[kaj]

My turbocharged civic always seemed to run very hot during the summer and my friend's is the same. He runs his fan all the time and it still overheated. What he did was take the thermostat out and now it stays around 180. Ocassionally it goes up to 210+ but then it cools down quicker.

no thermostat = bad idea

[crucian]

no thermostat = bad idea

Ammm.. where I'm from, we don't believe in the thermostats. So that's your opinion. I won't encourage anyone to do it where the temperature of the weather changes though.

[locash]

Crucian, it is not opinion, it is fact. If you do not use a thermostat, the water will not be in the radiator long enough for the system to do its job. Use the stock thermostat and fix the real problem.

[kaj]

no thermostat = bad idea

Ammm.. where I'm from, we don't believe in the thermostats. So that's your opinion. I won't encourage anyone to do it where the temperature of the weather changes though.

yeah. just my opinion. how do you expect the water to stay in the radiator long enough to cool down?

[crucian]

Ok, come down here to the Virgin Islands and tell all the mechanics that and see if you won't get laughed at. But as for me I do run a thermostat here in Germany, but at home in the islands, I don't. Oh yeh, and my car back home is a '89 and it still runs with the orginal engine no thermostat.

[Spunkster]

http://www.hondata.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1193

Running without a Thermostat is a very bad idea...it is there for a very good reason.