Re: gas mileage and thermostat question

[Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

I don't know where the low coolant temp idea came from. Chokes,  
carbs, intake atomization, combustion stuff are all designed for 190,  
plus or minus, any engine made since the 1950's.

It sounds paradoxical if you don't follow the numbers, but cooling  
systems work better at higher temperatures. The higher inside-to- 
outside temp. difference means the radiator can dump heat better.

There are places to mess with factory design, but this is rarely one  
of them.



On Nov 5, 2005, at 10:40 PM, Steven Fox wrote:

> Hello fellow amc-ers:
>
> Are gas mileage and the thermostat temperature related?  I'm  
> getting pretty poor gas mileage in my '68 AMX--10-12 mpg at best.   
> If the installed thermostat is 160 deg., then does the engine  
> really ever get hot enough to operate at full efficiency?  I  
> believe that the correct thermostat for this engine is 195 deg.
>
> Comments about this topic are welcome!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steve