Cooling questions/suggestions
Sounds like your "mild build" " fully worked" 318 runs just fine.
The purpose of the pressurized cooling system. 16 lbs. is to raise the boiling point of the coolant.
212° with straight water at sea level. Straight water with no cap.
Factory thermostat is 190 °.That is the temp that it opens to allow coolant to pass into the radiator, not what temp the car is running at.
Fans should be wired thru a thermostat control, just like modern cars, as speeds above 40 mph get no benefit from any fan. More air is forced through the core than a fan can pull or push at speeds above that.
Modern fuels have less octane and generate higher temps compared to the fues of the 60's. One reason that the compression ratios had to be lowered. Modified engines/tunes tend to run hotter than stock. Surprise?
Gauges don't show temps but only ranges from C to H because different applications run at different actual temperatures and postingg numbers would just confuse people about what was "normal".
Just like this posting. What is normal for your particular engine build combination. It won't be published anywhere as it isn't a tested combnation. All factory engine/car combinations have a factory baseline and they are different for different years, makes, models. This info is in the Factory Service Manuals.
