Originally Posted by BigDogRacing
However, for you guys and myself, we need to use the temp gun and new plugs for reference. My main goal in using the temp gun is to make sure I'm in the ballpark. Especially when bench tuning the motor. Often it's not so easy to audibly hear if you don't have the hi/lo needle combination off a little and the temp gun will help you go in the right direction. Also, tuning can be like building shocks; you may know the correct method but until you see (or in our case hear) someone like Josh do this bench tuning you still won't know how to do it well.
Wrong! A temp gun is an artificial necesity, each engine is different and they run at 100% at different temperatures. No matter if they are two engines of the same model, they will run at different temperatures.
Hearing your engine can be difficult at a track with other 9 cars running, but you don't need to hear it on all the track, I hear and recognize my engine when it passes in front of the rostrum and if you manage it, you may hear it on the backstraight and other curves.
A living example: My first Sirio (a black headed S12TRP ABC) liked to run around 145ºC. Meanwhile, the one who pit me, was a freak of temperature and it insisted on adjusting it for 115ºC. That engine was a real dog. 30ºC more and the engine woke up. It lasted long, long time (the P/S lasted around 25 litres and retired it bored about it at the end of the season). Changed 2 times the conrod but nothing more.
I usually pit for some friends and the first times they scared when they saw me adjusting the needles without taking a temperature reading of the engine, one put himself so nervous that yelled me 'Use the temp gun!' - I answered.
Isn't the engine running ok? Any problem? then shut up and drive!. Something pretty simmilar I've heard it to a respectable engine tuner at the last 1/8 EC (and of course he didn't use a temp gun...).
Many 'engine gurus' here told a myriad of times to forget the absolute temp. readings and adjusting by ear (Dennis Richey, comes to my mind about this...). Absolute temps given by the manufacturers are a simple number for guidance, but the temperature they give you can be quite inconsistent.
A very graphic example: The same engine, running at 115ºC (a very reasonable temp for an actual .12 - some wil say 'a little wuss') with an air temp of only 10ºC isn't the same of running it with an air temp of 30ºC. On the first case, the engine is about melting down, on the second case, the engine could be a tad rich (Cold air robs more heat from your engine, giving you false readings).
Regarding break-in methods I'm with Josh... Everyone has their own break-in method, mine is very similar to their and it worked well for me during all the years I'm with nitro cars.