Is 200 degrees too hot?

[jamesh]

I went ahead and changed out the temperature gauge on my Case 850D.After about 2 hrs the gauge goes all the way up to the red zone,so I got a cheap heat gun to check the temperature.The temperature stays around 200 degrees and never has gotten over 210.Is this too hot to run this dozer or is it o.k.even though the gauge shows it in the red?Thanks in advance.
 

[Paul Simmer]

I will be curious to read the replies. I have a Belarus tractor that does the same thing. Right at the sending unit it has read up to 212 degrees working it fairly hard. Guage pegs into the red, makes me nervous.
 

[NCWayne]

Don't know about that particular machine but the Series 50 Detroit in my service truck is designed to run in the 210 degree range. Thought it was running hot when I first got it so I checked the trhermostats and they appeard to be working normally so I called the dealership, and 210 is what I was told. Still looks strange to me, and I don't like it, but it's within it's design range so who am I to say it should be other wise?
 

[DiyDave]

Do you smell the sweet smell of AF? I have a Allis D-10 &12, both guages read overly hot, because the guage line runs right next to the exhaust manifold. When I put the IR thermometer on the engine, the hottest spot, is right next to the sending unit! I would not worry unless I smelled the smell of AF being vaporized.
 

[AJ.]

212° is maximum for that engine,the gauge needle should be staying out of the red by an 1/8",work the machine for a while till it's hot,take a reading with the gun from the top and then the bottom of the radiator and compare the two readings,if for example the top is reading 200° the bottom should be 10% less if the rad is doing its job,if not it may need to be back flushed and the outside cleaned,to back flush it take off the bottom hose and filler cap, jam in a water hose to the bottom of the rad with a rag and turn on the water supply and let it run through for a while,by what comes out you will get an indication of whats inside,when it comes clean try it again.
Good luck
AJ