What Temperatures Do IC Engines Operate At? Find Out Here!

[chhitiz]

can someone tell me what temperatures ic engines generally operate at?

 

[brewnog]

-20 deg C to 1500 deg C, depending on whether you mean coolant temperature on a cold start, or peak in-cylinder temperature when under load. Or anywhere between.

If you rephrase your question to be a little bit more precise (what component or fluid or system, what kind of engine, what operating conditions) then you might get a more precise answer...

 

[chhitiz]

what i meant was engine block temperature under normal operating conditions. does the in cylinder temperature really reach 1500? isn't that really close to melting point of steel?

 

[brewnog]

Peak cylinder temperatures can readily exceed that, and yes it's above the melting points of several of the components involved. But those are peak temperatures, not average temperatures, so the metal doesn't get that hot so doesn't get chance to melt.

Block temperatures typically run at 80-100 degrees C (as they're generally cooled by thermostatically controlled water).