quote:what the gauge says...
Keep in mind a stock Pantera temp gauge presents these issues:
A gauge that is Italian and uses a Ford temp sender?
Inaccurate from the start.
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The gauge that reads 230 maximum on early cars, and 260 on later cars?
Which one is accurate? Is either, if they both use the Ford sender and the Italian gauge?
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The gauge that Ford TSB article #61 shows how to install a shunting resistor in the sender feed wire to "correct" a high reading?
Inaccurate by design.
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Only an aftermarket matched set of sender/gauge or a mechanical temp gauge style should be expected to deliver consistent and accurate readings. Of course, even the matched set can experience sender/gauge/wiring failure.
Any measuring of temp using the stock sender/gauge will only accurately show changes in the cooling system performance. And even that, again, may just be a problem in the sender/gauge/wiring, not the actual cooling system.
Larry