How much red do you see in your moto meter?

[28 Special Coupe]

Hey guys, when normally driving from 35 to 45mph on a hot day, say above 85 degrees, how high does the red indicator in your moto meter rise? I'm trying to determine what's normal, especially for 28/29 cars that have the smaller radiator. I noticed that halfway up in the open circle there's writing that says "Summer Average". Is it normal for the temperature to rise that high? Thanks for your help.

[fordfixer]

You have to just drive it and find out what is normall for your car. They will all read different. I have seen some, that don't hardly show anything and others that rise half way or more.

[Mitch//pa]

i never see any red in mine even after i put a 160 stat still nothing. during the 4th of july parade i saw a spec of red but went quickly away.

[Barry in St.Paul]

My 30 coupe is similar to Mitch's; I see a little red if I am sitting idling, but drops back down to just below the visible area when I'm driving. When I stick a thermocouple in the radiator, I get about 185-190F, so no problem, just isn't calibrated to rise to the "Summer Average" line I guess.... I wonder if the original motometers did so? Mine is Vinteque reproduction.

[Kurt in NJ]

I have a 40 year old repro motometer, top of the circle is steam, long slow parade in 90+ it will get close to bottom of circle, 60 mph on 90 degree day --1/2 to 3/4 to circle, when it is cold no more than 1/4 to circle ----I do have a 160 thermostat so the motometer only reads radiator temp.

[Bob Johnson]

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I converted my Motometer to digital and now it shows the actual temperature of the coolant.

Bob

[Bob/AZ]

I put a good quality temp guage in my car because I was never seeing red on the Motometer, even when it boiled over on a long climb. I live at 8500msl so water boils at a lower temp here. Don't know if no red is a function of the elevation or a defective Motometer but the new meter sure makes me feel better.

[Bruce Adams]

NONE, EVER, in my Thermo-Quail in ten years, even while BOILING OVER.

I think maybe its not overly accurate.

[28 Special Coupe]

Thanks for your responses. So far most of my driving has been during the previous fall and winter months and I didn't see any red at all. Now that it's much warmer I'm seeing it climb into the circle and I'm having some overheating problems. Unfortunately, I've made few changes, including replacing my 4 blade fan with an aluminum 2 blade and I put in a 160 degree thermostat so I'm not sure what the culprit is. At the moment I'm running straight water and it's boiling over. I'm getting ready to replace the water with 50/50 antifreeze to at least raise the boiling point and see what effect that has. I'm guessing that if the water is boiling then the temperature is at least 212 degrees, which is probably too high, though.

[JoeWay]

Originally Posted by Bob Johnson

I converted my Motometer to digital and now it shows the actual temperature of the coolant.

Bob

OK, Bob, time for a how-to and where-to-get page on your website.

I like it!!

[Fred K-OR]

I have a motometer on my rig also. It does show a little red when going up a long hill. But I have a large radiator and a 4 blade fan.

I read somewhere that to get a better reading, you could cut the end hooks off a brake spring, slip it over the end of the motometer that is in the radiator and it will give you a more correct reading. Don't have an extra spring and have not tried it yet.

[29RPU]

Mine never shows. Small sample ownership, only had it about 5 months, but so far nothing.

[Jerry Parr WI]

I drove a few hundred miles the last 2 days so my recent experience is as follows. It's an original motometer and I held my speed at a steady 55 MPH. Setting in the sun at 85deg with the engine not running the red line is about 1/2 in below the circle. Driving at 75deg the red is about 1/4 in below the circle. Driving at 85deg the red is about 1/8 below the circle. Setting at an idle for an extended period at 85 the red just touched the circle. Never overheated so not sure of that condition but remember once when it was low on coolant it did get to the top of the circle. Not this year.

New problem I had today was the gasket between the cap halves. It was a repro gasket of some red material which appears to have melted. Made a sticky mess like it had been a red rubber band. I have another new one but it appears to be the same hard reddish material. Anyone else have this gasket problem.

[JD Miller]

It seems that most of the reproduction moto meters are more for "looks" than to serve any practical purpose. I would not put much stock in how they read.

I have two original moto meters. In cold weather, below 60 degrees or so the red will just show. Running at speeds in the 45-55 MPH range with temps at 80 degrees up to the high 90s the red will climb to about an 1/8th of an inch below the circle.

In hot weather, on a long climb up hill the red will just move up to the bottom edge of the circle. Also, in a parade the red will just about get to the bottom of the circle.

After and extended run during high temps the red will move into the circle when the engine is shut off. Once started the red will drop back down below the circle.

Both of the meters read just about the same on the car.

How your motor meter reads is dependent on how accurate, or unaccurate, the meter may be. I see club member's meters that show little if any red yet they will have an over heating problem at sustained highway speeds and during parades.

It's a crap shoot on just how your moto meter may read.

[Mike V. Florida]

About a quarter inch when stopped for several minutes at idle when the temp is in the high 80's.

[MikeK]

The "red" indication at a given temp varies widely from one Motometer to the next.
Perhaps this will help:

[cars56]

Don't trust my repro meter. Had a difficult time keeping it from flying off the car with the inside flange on the radiator neck, seemed to have solved that problem.
But just switched form tap water and 50/50 to 80% distilled + 20% 50/50 and 12 oz of Purple Ice, Let's see what happens.
Installing a 160 soon to be on the safe side.
To test a meter place it in the neck of a steam kettle and turn up the heat.

[Ice man]

If the base is not in water it won't show water temp. Iceman

[28 Special Coupe]

Thanks guys for all of your great feedback. I guess I won't worry to much about what the moto meter is reading as long as I get consistent results for my car.

I made a few changes to see if the overheating situation improves but haven't been able to take the car out for a drive yet. First of all, I took the car to one of the experts in my Model A club and we accurately set the timing. Next, I pushed the thermostat all the way down in the upper hose and clamped it in place. I didn't have the clamp there before and it got pushed up to the top. Finally, I flushed the radiator and switched out the water for a 50/50 antifreeze mix. Hopefully that will do the trick. If not, I guess I'll switch back the 4 blade fan and see what that does.

[700rpm]

I once heard a story that Henry didn't like motometers. He purportedly said, "You don't need a motometer. Any fool can look out at the radiator and see if it's boiling over or not."

Might be apocryphal.