Karen:
Sounds to me like your Lotus is running well (quite well, actually!). I
would say that your temperature "problem" is inherent in the engine design
and the laws of thermodynamics. If you think about it, you'll realize that
pushing your engine hard, running at 6-7 grand, produces quite a bit of
heat. Your cooling system seems to keep up with this load just fine while
you're moving. But there is considerable thermal mass in the iron
cylinders and block, and it takes time to conduct the heat out into the
coolant. When you shut down after a hard run like this, there is still
considerable heat within the block, but at idle the coolant isn't moving
through at a high enough rate to remove it. So the temperature spikes up
for a short time. (For those of us old enough to have experience with the
big block 400+ cu. in. V8s of the '60s may remember their tendencies to boil
all the water out of the block if shut down too soon after a hard run.)
Good luck at Salina!
Pat Vilbrandt John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc. Everett, Washington USA
UUCP: pwv@tc.fluke.COM or: { uunet, uw-beaver, sun, microsoft }!fluke!pwv
ARPA: fluke!pwv@uw-beaver.ARPA
|