Thermostat temps
 

Long story short I live in Arizona and recently changed my thermostat from a 160 to a 180 high flow speedway degree thermostat. I burp the coolant and at idle it's between 180 to 190 degrees. When I drive and stopped at a red light it will jump to 210. I'm thinking I still need to purge the system or is the new 180 thermostat the problem? Or a faulty temperature sending unit? I run dual radiator fans that come on at 180. Before with the 160 degree thermostat it would get up to temperature kinda quick but didn't have a issue at a red light. Any information will be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks Chris

Re: Thermostat temps
 

Might be the start of a water pump issue. Loose belt? Cavitation?

Have you drilled your thermostat?

Re: Thermostat temps
 

Perhaps the flow rate is the culprit, given that the old thermostat wasn't high flow(?). My truck had issues with heating for decades, until a high flow rate thermostat was installed.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

Ac or no ac?

Re: Thermostat temps
 

The thermostat doesn't regulate temp. It just opens at the stated temp.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

What???

Re: Thermostat temps
 

i too live in phx.

every late model vheicle has around a 200 t hermostat

Post a few pics of your set up.

Its 60 degrees out nealry daily, are you over heating?
what happens when its 118 degrees out?

you might just be having the 'i cant stop looking at the guage' syndrome instead of enjoying the driving experinces..

Re: Thermostat temps
 

The thermostat opens at and above stated temp and closes below stated temp. which (if the rest of your cooling system is up to the task) fully regulates the temp of your engine.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

Why did you change the thermostat temp?
What temp did the truck run at before?
Is the thermostat the only part you changed?
Can you adjust the temp that your fans come on at?
You need to make sure the system is fully purged before trying anything else.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

Yeah i only changed the thermostat. I went from a 160 to a 180 thermostat. Thinking I had a 180 all along I might go back to 160. I thought my thermostat was sticking open or closed cause it got to temp kinda quick thats why i switchedit out. I tried purging the system a couple of times without success but I don't have the right funnel. I drove the truck without a thermostat last week and it didn't overheat stayed between 170 and 180. It just started overheating with the higher 180 thermostat. Didn't have any issues with the 160 in the summer time. Will get hot at a traffic light but goes down when I drive again. Water pump is fairly new. Thanks.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

In all reality 210 isn't that bad, not close to overheating, so not too much to worry about there. I'd still be a little concerned about the temp jump at red lights. Not sure why changing thermostats would change things, unless you got a bum one....which is more and more common these days. What's the condition of the other cooling system components? Where's the temp gauge sending unit plugged in at? Where's the vacuum advance hooked up at? Where's the thermostat for the fans hooked up at? I'd have the fans come on at 170 with a 180 stat. When you refilled the radiator and tried to purge it, did you also fill the engine through the theromstat hole?

Re: Thermostat temps
 

A thermostat will never cause an engine to heat up faster. The thermostat only reacts to coolant temperature. It won't add heat to the coolant

The thermostat should be closed when the coolant is below the rated temperature of the thermostat. The job of a thermostat isn't to keep the engine from overheating, that's the radiators job, the thermostat is there to regulate the coolant flow, so the engine stays in its most efficient temperature range. The thermostat does its best work when it is cold outside.

However because thermostat is not an off on switch it may take 5 or 10 degrees of temperature change to get the thermostat to completely open (or close). So it may be rated for 180 degrees but it could start opening at 175 or 184.

If the thermostat is stuck open it could cause the engine to take longer to reach operating temperature.

As previously stated you may need a high flow thermostat. As inadequate flow may cause the engine to run warm. This would be noticed when driving on the highway in hot weather or when the engine is heavily loaded for extended periods

The rule of thumb for temperature creeping up at idle is caused by not enough cool air flowing through the radiator. Whether that is from blocked fins in the radiator or insufficient draw by the fan or hot air being recycled from under the engine to the front of the radiator. (3rd gen F-bodies suffered from this if the small air dam under the radiator got torn off or removed).

In hot weather being too close to the car in front of you at the traffic light of can cause the engine temperature to rise, if the vehicle in front of you has their exhaust feeding directly into your radiator.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

Franken is just a smart ass going around to post with criticism. Smart remarks every day.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

I stated nothing but a few facts w/o emotion, though I did neglect to say the thermostat closes below the rated temp. I didn't criticize anyone.
Lighten up Frances.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

The OP seems to think that the thermostat has something to do with the temp getting to 210--it doesn't. Once the temp gets above the opening point, the thermostat opens and as long as the temp remains above that point, it has no impact on cooling.

People sometimes think the thermostat keeps the temp at it's rating, which it doesn't and isn't the purpose of the thermostat.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

WTF are you smoking? That is exactly what a thermostat is for. To REGULATE the temperature of the coolant. Get yourself a dictionary and look up the words regulate and thermostat. You apparently don't know the meaning of either.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

With a 180F tstat and the engine is running at 210F, how is the tstat regulating? It's wide open and out of the loop. And of course it allows the engine to reach operating temperature quicker because at less than 180F it's inhibiting the flow of coolant through the radiator until it opens. That's what it is for.

Franken is absolutely correct.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

Seems some of you need to read the bold part again.

Editing to say that if you were to run NO thermostat and the rest of your cooling system was functioning properly, the most likely thing to happen would be it would take longer to reach operating temp and in some cases the engine would never reach operation temp, and in fewer cases running no thermostat can cause overheating due to the speed at which the coolant is flowing through the system, not allowing time for the coolant to cool in the radiator.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

I guess I’m still not clear why you were changing the thermostat. You started you changed it because it was getting to temp quickly. I would think this is a good thing. The engine is going to run most efficient when it is at temp. As long as the engine wasn’t getting too hot I’m not sure what the problem was.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

My temp sending unit is on the intake I have not had a chance to move it to the block so is the temp for the fans. No I didnt top off the engine through the thermostat housing. It seemed like it was stuck open. Since I'm in Arizonai was wondering what temp thermostat should I be running with my fans coming on at 180 degrees?

I running a 160 degree thermostat now and it seemed to fix the issue.
Thanks

Re: Thermostat temps
 

You & Franken are quite wrong. Go ask a mechanic, an engineer or even Google what a thermostat does.

Re: Thermostat temps
 

100% did not fix anything.
our high was 74 degrees yesterday. You should physically be able to remove your fan assembly and sit it in the grgae and go drive your truck all day long. Unless of course you get stuck on grand and have to wait for a train.
There is an issue with your system. The issue could range from the driver thinking its too hot. The temp sensors in the wrong position making it seem to hot. The gauge and or sensor are showing incorrect temps. Or there is a hardware issue such as plugged rad, bad water pump=tstat etc.
It appears you have a basic SBC. Is it stock? Where is the timing set? Fuel injected? Carb? When was it last tuned on a dyno? Distributor recurved?
Unless youre trying to get every HP from the engine and are down to the last race and trying everything possible, a 160 t-stat is doing more harm than good.
If an engine doesn’t get hot, it wont burn off the condensation inside of it. That turns to bad stuff that kills bearings.

It’s yours, you can leave the 160 in it and never look back, or you can find the cause of the issue and correct it now, before its 118 outside.

-fellow zonie

Re: Thermostat temps
 

Ok what would you suggrst?

Re: Thermostat temps
 

If you are getting a moderately correct temps while running at speed, and heating up at idle at a stop light I am inclined to think it is something to do with the fans. You have two fans. Are both running? Is it possible you bumped one of the leads when installing the Tstat. I had a issue with my fans a while back. The connectors do not have a catch tab on them and will wiggle loose but not completely disengage. That will compromise the amperage to the fan. It will slow the fan, eventually overheat and damage. You will eventually start popping fuses. Make sure both fans are running strong. Champion sells replacements at a reasonable price.
The other idea, is the stat in correct orientation, and have you tried switching back to the original just to be sure the new stat is not causing the issue?

Re: Thermostat temps
 

Fans and Radiator are champion brand and are fairly new like 2 years old. I did go back to 160 thermostat and is driving good and not overheating bit am I using the right TempStat? With my fans?

Also will move temp sending unit to block and see what happens but might be after the holidays.