1969 440 No Therm

[blinkey]

   Noticed my car is running cool about 120F and has no thermostat. Is it Ok to run it this way or could it do harm to the engine. It runs great

[XH29N0G]

My guess is that even without a thermostat you should have higher temperatures if you have a typical cooling system - something like 150-160 C - so I would check your gauge.  I may be wrong, so someone may correct me.  What I have been led to believe is that it is better to have a thermostat that is something like 180 or higher and there are some benefits to this - do not know exactly what.  See what others say.

[ws23rt]

I also have had that same question.
The new cars ( I suspect) may be more temp. sensitive then our old school cars.

My 69 hemi coronet shows a temp on the gauge as being too low. --This is the original gauge and replaced sender.

It would be cool if someone could give an informed or otherwise definitive answer to the question.---What is the temp. range our old cars should run?------Is 160 deg. to low?---is 210deg. too high?--etc.

The next question is.  How/where should that temp. be taken to be properly informed?

[c00nhunterjoe]

180 on the average build. If you are pushing the limits with timing and fuel, 160.

[A383Wing]

service manual will tell you what t-stat to run.....120 is way to cold for running temp.....if it's running that cold without a t-stat, then your radiator and cooling system are working correctly...put a t-stat in it and move on

[ws23rt]

service manual will tell you what t-stat to run.....120 is way to cold for running temp.....if it's running that cold without a t-stat, then your radiator and cooling system are working correctly...put a t-stat in it and move on

That's my thinking but my inquiring mind want's to understand the down side (if any) to running too cold.
For example --a lighter (final weight) oil could be in order for a cold running engine.

[A383Wing]

internal parts are made to expand and run at certain temp, if engine is not at temp, extra wear on parts will be seen, mainly the piston rings

[myk]

Like others have said, if your engine is running too cool it's also a bad thing...