Normal oil temperature for 1983 1.6 carb engine?

I have just installed a oil temp gauge in my 83 Golf 1.6 carb. What is normal temp? My gauge reads 110-120 on average...

That seems a little high, are you driving the car hard or stuck in traffic?
When driving my mk1 Scirocco (with no oil cooler) normally at 50 mph at this time of year the oil is 90 degrees. On the motorway at about 70 mph 100 to 110 degrees.
This is the readings I get after about 20 miles, I do change the oil on a regular basis, How old is the oil in your car and where did you get the temputure sender from?

On a hot summers day pushing the car for an hour or so the most Ive seen on my gauge is 130.

mark1gls said

That seems a little high, are you driving the car hard or stuck in traffic?
When driving my mk1 Scirocco (with no oil cooler) normally at 50 mph at this time of year the oil is 90 degrees. On the motorway at about 70 mph 100 to 110 degrees.
This is the readings I get after about 20 miles, I do change the oil on a regular basis, How old is the oil in your car and where did you get the temputure sender from?

On a hot summers day pushing the car for an hour or so the most Ive seen on my gauge is 130.

I get those temperatures on average on normal drive. (No hard driving or traffic jams)
The oil was changed in October 2012, but i have not used the car in the winter season. I live in Norway, so i have just started to use my cabby for the season.

The oil temperature sender was there when i bought the car, but it was not connected to any gauge.

The oil i used was 10w-40 semi synthetic.  Maybe i should use another oil?

I can ad that i have normal water temp readings

It does seem high but remember that the gauges do not give an accurate reading, only a reference and many factors will alter your results (quality of the wire/connections, the gauge itself etc) for correct accurate readings you will need an infrared gun (preferably calibrated, or at least compared with a calibrated gauge) and a calibrated probe inserted into the sympton
obviously you cant use the infrared gun whilst moving and different guns will give a reading +/- 3'

Could the oil type have anything to do with high oil temperature? my 1.6 engine from 1983 is closing up on 190,000km (118060 miles)
Im currently using semi-syntetic 10w40.

Would a thicker oil, mineral 15w50, help lower the temperature?

what colour is the sensor, and what type/rating oil gauge is it? because not all sensors are the same

I will check when i get home, but i think my sensor had a black collar.
The instrument is not original

ok thats a dash temp sensor, probably not right. VW 0-150 vdo gauges need white collar sender, same as the mfa on dash. 0-180 audi vdo gauges need a blue collar audi vdo sender.

aftermarket could be anything, need to check with the manufacturer

The sensor that came with the instrument is on the picture. But the threads does not fit. Its 1/8” NPT. So i used the sensor that was allready there.

right, its likely that the old sensor is incompatible. you can get adaptors

Anyone knows where i can get 1/8" NPT to M10 adapter?

I managed to get hold of an adapter, but there is a problem. The tip og the sensor is to long for the adapter… bummer…
Is it possible to cut of a little bit of the sensor, or would it interfere with oil temp readings?

hmm id think the sensor would probably reach right into the tip, if you cut it down you risk breaking the sensor

how much does it stick out, could you fit some washers?

I can not fit it with washers...