Hello. Can some one please tell me what the normal operating temp is for the 5.0 mustangs. I have a 94 GT. Here where I live, So Cal.. We rarely see any thing above 80 degrees. I am going to be taking the mustang to new Mexico this weekend. My temp gauge has never worked since I got the car. All the other gauges are fine. I just installed a temp guage and tend to worry when temps go over 210 in my 65 ranchero. It has a 5.0 in it as well. I am used to the old 60 cars where we never wanted to see any thing above 200. I know a lot of the new cars run around 210. So at what temps should I ever be concerned with. The car has never gave me any issues but I would rather be safe than sorry.
Thanks guys

 

On really hot days with hard driving I would see 215 once in a while . Generally it would average 200-210 and just kind of float back and forth with normal driving in town.

Highway temps would see average of 195-205 .

 

Thanks, it looks like I am about 200 highway and 200 to 215 in town. Once the fan comes on. it goes to 200 pretty fast. I only have 10 miles on the gauge so far. I will not really be driving the car much till I leave saturday night. That will give me a good estimate of where I should be. I am guessing it may go up a touch once it hits 90 out? It was only about 72 out today. I used my hand held temperature gun to see what the motor showed and it was super close to the gauge in the car. Actually a few degrees lower.

 

Use your temp gun and measure about an inch or two away on the radiator where the coolant exits the engine. (top hose)

When the stat is open, this temp is very close to whats passing by the t-stat and will represent an accurate "system" temp.

Using this method I run a 180 stat and have the e-fan set to come on at 205F. (I have an aluminum rad & my fan hardly ever comes on)
On a cool day I measure temps that are 180~185 when the stat opens.

 

190 max temp on my car.....with all the mods.

 

It seems the normal temp for my car is about 200. I drove from Ca. to N.M. and the highest temp with the A/C running was about 205 - 215. I can deal with that since it was pretty hot. temp would go up just a touch on some of the long hills. It would drop right away once i leveled off or started on a slight down hill. That is about the same as my Ranchero would do.
Thanks for all the replys