Q – To add to your comments on the 912, where the engine compartment seal was not doing its job (P 4 July, page 30), an easy way to check the gauge is with one of those temperature guns. Get engine surface temperature readings in degrees and see if the gauge is in a similar zone over time for that reading.
I have 130,000 miles on a 1964 SC. Maintaining the engine compartment sheet metal and the seal to the body is vital to keeping the engine cool, and not much dirt gets in either. I do a reasonableness test with the temperature gun to the gauge a couple of times a year. Harry
A – An excellent comment about a tool we use frequently. Another use for the temperature gun (non-contact pyrometer) is determining which cylinder is not producing equal power. If you can gain access to the exhaust ports and you detect a misfire but can’t be sure which cylinder is causing it, pointing the “ray gun” at the header pipe will quickly show you which cylinder is loafing. We also find the tool useful in verifying the source of brakes that pull to the left or right. After a few hard stops, you can measure the heat on the rotor surface and this helps determine where to look first for the problem. An excellent tool and now that they can be purchased for less than $100.00, any motorhead can afford to own one. – MC