You (and everyone else) needs to realise that the reading on a dash gauge is only an indication, not a calibrated accurate scientific instrument. It could easily be as much as 15 (or more) degrees out. Just like your dash tacho, it's not a precision instrument... It's designed for you to get an idea of where it is normally (not the actual reading, but the needle position), then if it's not 'normal', you know something is wrong...
Chris......
(I have no idea why they even bother to put the degrees on them. They didn't in the early days!)
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That is exactly what I was trying to say Chris.
Maybe I didn't convey it clearly.
I only use the needle on the temp gauge as a reference. The numbers and the increments are pretty much useless. I did give a guesstimate that mine runs around 160.
After a new thermostat and impeller, I noted where the needle was and that's my baseline. As long as it doesn't go higher, I feel ok. I actually at one point thought about drawing a line with a sharpie where the needle sat, but it's easily recognizable at a glance.
We all know most of these gauges are grossly inaccurate, but at least a baseline gives you an idea that you are within an acceptable range.
And yes, that works if the gauge is sort of consistent, which you will determine by a constant glance.
You should be glancing at all your gauges anyway.
Cheers!