What I Should Look For in Running Hot

electric problem I think, may be ground?
is it only the oil temperature showing so high?

 

I hope Joe is right. The other possibilities are pretty grim.

I would check oil level too. If it got very low too hot is pretty common.

Run hard on a race track and BBs are famous for pegging the gauge. But cruising around town thats too high.

 

If that oil pressure is at idle, no big deal. If at running speed not a great sign.

Combination of high oil temp, low oil pressure and high coolant temp not great unless car was being run hard. Boxers run hot when run hard. Its why so many changes took place in the over all cooling on TR. Also why BBLMs had that great big nose. A friend who had a BB told me over 110 the oil temp went up as fast as the speedometer. At track events I routinely saw them buried past the 140 mark.

How hot was the weather?

 

I see that water temp from time to time, especially on hot days. I don't see that oil temp unless I'm driving fairly hard.

 

Have you confirmed if both radiator fans are running?

(Sort of surprising, but a 512BB/BBi has no dedicated oil cooler?)

 

Nope. Was a real issue in some operating modes.

The big nose on BBLM held a huge oil cooler.

 

No. The oil temp needs to be over 80-85 degrees on gauge. Turn off engine and check level right away.

 

Both. There's a lot of heat transfer inside the engine between the two -- so they usually run about the same given enough time to reach equilibrium. Those temp sensor/gauges aren't super-accurate -- it's more telling that both are running higher than "normal" (rather than them not reading exactly the same).

Wouldn't help the oil temp if your oil level is lowish, but make sure both radiator fans are working.

 

Suggest your guy use dinosaur oil. Valvoline 20/50 Racing is a good choice. So is Joe Gibbs oil.

The Victorian era rings used in BBs are just hopeless for oil control. Synthetic oils burn so fast in them its tough to keep them full.

 

Your mechanic may not care what some guy on the internet says but its worth a try.

 

Are the fans on and staying on while the temp is above 90 or are they cycling on and off? Mine was running hotter than normal because the fans didn’t stay on long enough to cool the engine. Found a faulty temp switch on the radiator to be the cause. Replaced, fans stayed on when above 90 and temps went back to normal.

 

My TR runs hot when there is air trapped at a high point in the cooling system.

Despite the system being completely different, does a BB have a cooling system bleed valve on the engine or firewall, in addition to the one on the rad (I recall one being on the rad)? Could be a simple fix - how is the coolant level?

 

I've experienced water temp rising due to needing air bled out, especially after the cars sit.

 

You guys know this is oil temp and not water temp, right?

 

Yes -- see post #4 (the water temp ain't so great either).

 

Forgot it was oil, not water. Air in the cooling system will make oil temps rise, but you will notice it more quickly in the water temperature.

The only time I have ever noticed high oil temperature in the TR (in Dubai heat) was when the oil cooler fan failed. I don’t think a BB has one.

The other thing to check - once, due to a bad ground, all my TR’s temperature gauges jumped higher when I turned the lights on. Check to see if the gauges move noticeably when the headlights are switched on and off.

 

I know but the last couple of posts were pointing out cooling system issues, particularly air in the system. So just wanted to make sure people realize the original issue is high oil temp before this becomes a cooling system thread.

I’m not a pro at this but personally, I suspect the high water temps might be a red herring; they are probably related to the oil temps being so high as some of that extra heat would most likely be absorbed by the cooling system.