Regarding hot-running 2.8L.....
Many folks have said the 2.8 is a hot-running engine. Here's the experience of a newbie.
My 2.8L with 40K miles was dumping coolant after every trip. After much angst, I found that the coolant was leaking due to a bad radiator cap...letting out coolant for no reason.
But...
I was also scared to learn that when I installed a temp gauge, the engine always ran between 200 and 210 degrees. So....I took it to a big shop that specializes in radiators only (LA Radiators). The mechanic smiled, and immediately knew I had a 2.8L Pinto. Here's what he said:
* For stop and go traffic (lot's of waiting, and then 15 - 20 MPH and then waiting again in warm weather), 210 is not bad, and probably expected (that's my situation....w hen I drive in cool weather on the freeway, the temp goes way down).
* The temp can go much higher than 210 before there's a problem.
* If you want to increase cooling a bit, you can add a 7 blade fan (base car has a 5 blade)
* Having a temp guage is a great idea...Idiot Lights are not adequate in 35 year old cars.
Anyway, these guys are known as the cooling experts in LA and they appear to know Pintos. Hopefully he's right, because with the new cap, my car runs like a champ!
I know some other club members think 180 - 190 is better.