How hot do you run?

SAS289

Well-Known Member
#1
Just wondering if anyone has pointed an infrared thermometer on different parts of your "hot" engine?

I just did about a 7 or 8 minute ride around the yard that included multiple short full throttle bursts up hill. Immediately after the ride I took some temps here and there. The most interesting was pointing into the oil with the cap off. Showed a whopping 98 degrees. Does anyone else run this cold? I'm wondering if the oil ever gets to "operating temp".

Maybe I need to block more of the air inlets on the starter housing? Maybe add more minutes to the ride to get hotter? Engine is a mildly built 196 with a PVL flywheel using 5W30 synthetic.
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#2
Just wondering if anyone has pointed an infrared thermometer on different parts of your "hot" engine?

I just did about a 7 or 8 minute ride around the yard that included multiple short full throttle bursts up hill. Immediately after the ride I took some temps here and there. The most interesting was pointing into the oil with the cap off. Showed a whopping 98 degrees. Does anyone else run this cold? I'm wondering if the oil ever gets to "operating temp".

Maybe I need to block more of the air inlets on the starter housing? Maybe add more minutes to the ride to get hotter? Engine is a mildly built 196 with a PVL flywheel using 5W30 synthetic.
I wouldn't block off anything to do with cooling.

Just got back from a 13 mile ride on my slightly massaged GX-200, with the temps here this eve. in Iowa around the upper 80's.
With 10w30 syn. in it,, case temp. is cool enough to touch with your fingers, & not get burned.

I'd say,, ''ride it longer'' . ;)
 

Harquebus

Well-Known Member
#3
Pffft. You need to run it more, and oil at operating temperature is what you want. That's what you want with your car too--short trips are bad.

...case temp. is cool enough to touch with your fingers, & not get burned.
Where on the case? The blower shroud, for example, should be warm to the touch {because it gets a constant flow of air} but the temperature at the cylinder head and cooling fins should be around 250-300° and will roast you pretty bad.
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#4
Pffft. You need to run it more, and oil at operating temperature is what you want. That's what you want with your car too--short trips are bad.



Where on the case? The blower shroud, for example, should be warm to the touch {because it gets a constant flow of air} but the temperature at the cylinder head and cooling fins should be around 250-300° and will roast you pretty bad.
Short trips are hard on any engine.

Was referring to around ''center'' front of the crank case.
Cooling fins actually stay pretty cool on that too,, but I still don't touch them for more than a ''split second'' after a run,, & ''never'' around the exhaust port side of the head..
 
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Harquebus

Well-Known Member
#5
Just wondering if anyone has pointed an infrared thermometer on different parts of your "hot" engine?
To reiterate, this is something I want to do; hell everyone should too, to understand their engine better. I have two IR thermometers and they are great fun in and around the workshop.

I'd like to test lean and rich mixtures and see for myself what it does to the engine temps, at least around the combustion chamber.. . . .
 

SAS289

Well-Known Member
#6
Pffft. You need to run it more, and oil at operating temperature is what you want. That's what you want with your car too--short trips are bad.



Where on the case? The blower shroud, for example, should be warm to the touch {because it gets a constant flow of air} but the temperature at the cylinder head and cooling fins should be around 250-300° and will roast you pretty bad.
I was getting around 160 in the middle of the cylinder area of the block. The only impressive temps were on the exhaust side of the head.
 

toomanytoys

Well-Known Member
#7
I should have checked it last night. I was towing the kids behind the ct200u on a sled. I was romping on it pretty hard. I could feel the heat from the header through my pants and it was enough to he uncomfortable. Never felt that way before.
 

Harquebus

Well-Known Member
#8
Towing kids with a sled--do you live in the North Pole?


The only person I know that uses their minibike like a person uses their car is BBQJOE. He's got the land area for it.
I'd love to ride for an hour+/- but the vibrations cause "tingly butt" {is that a thing?} or something...
 

toomanytoys

Well-Known Member
#9
Towing kids with a sled--do you live in the North Pole?


The only person I know that uses their minibike like a person uses their car is BBQJOE. He's got the land area for it.
I'd love to ride for an hour+/- but the vibrations cause "tingly butt" {is that a thing?} or something...
Blue plastic sled, rope and around the yard in the grass. They think it's the greatest thing in the world!

As for long riding heck the usual trail loop I do is 10 miles. I'll do that twice in a row on a Saturday non stop. It's a blast!

When my street legal rupp had plates and insurance I'd ride it an hour at a time. Much fun.
 

65ShelbyClone

Well-Known Member
#10
Keep in mind that consumer infrared heat guns don't read accurately when pointed at reflective, transparent, or very lightly-colored surfaces. If you want a better way to spot-check something like oil temperature, get an inexpensive pocket thermometer with a 1" dial face that goes up to ~220°F.
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#11
Towing kids with a sled--do you live in the North Pole?


The only person I know that uses their minibike like a person uses their car is BBQJOE. He's got the land area for it.
I'd love to ride for an hour+/- but the vibrations cause "tingly butt" {is that a thing?} or something...
Know all about the tingly. :rolleyes:
Best thing for me with long rides, due to a bit of Sciatica ect.,, is to stand up for a seconds ''or so'',, when at a stop. ;)
 

Harquebus

Well-Known Member
#12
...If you want a better way to spot-check something like oil temperature, get an inexpensive pocket thermometer with a 1" dial face that goes up to ~220°F.
I was hoping to incorporate your idea with another known hack which utilizes an analog or digital probe thermometer that threads into the block like a dipstick/oil fill plug. But I put the idea on the backburner...

https://oldminibikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/predator-212-electric-oil-pump.153216/#post-1272946

 

I74

Well-Known Member
#13
I was hoping to incorporate your idea with another known hack which utilizes an analog or digital probe thermometer that threads into the block like a dipstick/oil fill plug. But I put the idea on the backburner...

https://oldminibikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/predator-212-electric-oil-pump.153216/#post-1272946

Had an oil tank dipstick ''kind of'' like that on my old HD Shovelhead chopper.
It was definitely useful when I rode & lived in Arizona many years ago....
 
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#14
Keep in mind that consumer infrared heat guns don't read accurately when pointed at reflective, transparent, or very lightly-colored surfaces. If you want a better way to spot-check something like oil temperature, get an inexpensive pocket thermometer with a 1" dial face that goes up to ~220°F.
If you want accurate temperature readings the target surface should be painted flat black, this works out well for me.
 
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