Vw race engine running temps??

[mexracer10]

We are getting ready to test/ brake in the new engine on our 2 seat 12 car, and have a vdo cylinder head temp gauge. I was curious what the normal temp should hover around?? No washes, just normal rough racing speeds. And i was also wondering what kind of timing advace are people running with the compu fire ignition? Right now we have a total advance at 32* but i am sure there is room to play with, so any input will help.

[stuckthrottle]

how bout we go test in barstow instead of plaster city. Hows that for input.

[mexracer10]

I herd the race cars run cooler there and dont roll over:)

[ASHCRAFT]

my 10 car runs 170-180 under full race conditions.

[DailyPedal]

my 10 car runs 170-180 under full race conditions.

Head temp? Are you running methanol? LOL

[ASHCRAFT]

Head temp? Are you running methanol? LOL

LOL guess I missed that part. That would be my oil temp.

[prerunner1499]

We are getting ready to test/ brake in the new engine on our 2 seat 12 car, and have a vdo cylinder head temp gauge. I was curious what the normal temp should hover around?? No washes, just normal rough racing speeds. And i was also wondering what kind of timing advace are people running with the compu fire ignition? Right now we have a total advance at 32* but i am sure there is room to play with, so any input will help.


Heads temps should be in the 300-450 range under most normal operating conditions. If your really working the motor hard when in silt or a hill climb the head temps can get up to 475+ for short periods of time. If you running over 400 for too long the oil temps will really start to climb too high.Oil should run 180-225 ish. Occasionally reaching 250 if really working the motor hard. Heads will run the hottest while loading the motor and on long straights with nearly full throttle.

I run a compu fire system on an 1835cc I run the timing at 32deg max advance. Not a problem since install. This motor has 9.5:1 CR and runs on pump gas super unleaded. Single weber 44 idf. I put a slash of race gas in there now and then.
I would not really advise advancing the timing any more that about 32. You will risk detonation and head temps will tend to be higher risking cooking out a head.

[mexracer10]

Thanks for all the info, we went to plater city and drove the car around and it stayed well below 300, ran in the 220 -260 range. The oil cooler barly even got warm. We are running 110 fuel and have the timing at 32* but prolly going to leave it at 31* for the race. Now another question is what kinda of fuel mileage should i expect to get?? I was guessing around 5-7 mpg, from the people i have been taling to it seems to be the norm for a 2 seat 12 car.

[Fourstroker]

Now another question is what kinda of fuel mileage should i expect to get?? I was guessing around 5-7 mpg, from the people i have been taling to it seems to be the norm for a 2 seat 12 car.

A safe guess is 6. You might get up to 6.5 or 6.75 but 6 will have you covered.

[Wendell #1303]

Agree on the mileage. Best I get is 8 MPG and the worst is about 6-1/2. I calculate 6 for safety.

[DailyPedal]

And Gene Berg (rip) did a lot of testing on oil temp and head temp gauges and it is a real eye opener. To begin with, the gauges are not very accurate and temp reading differs substantially by sending unit location. So use any info as a reference point, test to determine a baseline (which you have) and closely inspect the heads for heat damage any time they are pulled. Then throw all of that out the window since you will most likely drive it into the ground trying to finish a race...LOL.
I can see it now, "I will stop when it gets to 265, 270 and that is it, 280, 280 is as high as I am going...one more mile at 285 and I will pull over..." Happens every time and engine builders laugh all the way to the bank...LOL

[prerunner1499]

Thanks for all the info, we went to plater city and drove the car around and it stayed well below 300, ran in the 220 -260 range. The oil cooler barly even got warm. We are running 110 fuel and have the timing at 32* but prolly going to leave it at 31* for the race. Now another question is what kinda of fuel mileage should i expect to get?? I was guessing around 5-7 mpg, from the people i have been taling to it seems to be the norm for a 2 seat 12 car.

I would say probably in the 7-9ish range but it really depends on your motor configuration (head flow characteristics), compression ratio, driving habits, carburation and jetting. Mashing on the throttle out of every corner will waste gas just like jack rabbiting off a stop light. So will spinning the tires by mashing on it going up the hills and spinning the tires out. I go easy oin the right foot, the motor likes it better that way.
I have a 2332cc in an older 87 raceco single seater. When running good, (still chasing jetting though) on duals with 44 webers we are getting about 9-10 ath the high end but we are not running all race gas, and I have light foot. I dont mash the gas all day long. The motor has enough power that I dont need to. Our motor is 9.6:1 CR and I run about a 30% mix of super unleaded and 110 leaded race gas. It makes about a 100 octane mix from a calculator program that I found. The motor likes it and does not seem to run hot. It runs oil at 200-250 all day long. We run 15-40 dello 400 oil.
I have a doghouse fan cooler and a Setrab dual fan pack,on switches. It is dry sumped as well. 8 qts of oil. Ive tinkered with the fans ad different times and turning 1 fan on it will drop the oil temp about 10-15 degrees on average. Dual fans drop it about 20-25 degrees and the head temp @ #3 drops about 25 degrees as well with the dual fans running on a long straight at about 6000 rpm. Oil temp is measured in the bottom of the dry sump tank going INTO the motor so I know what the oil temp is actually going into the motor. I dont care much whats coming out as it gets cooled, I want to know the temp going IN. If its hot going in, "Houston we have a problem!"