Very High Initial Temp. Reading
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 0
From: MANDEVILLE, LA La
Very High Initial Temp. Reading
My Temp. has been going up, Sometimes, to 250F or Better.Doesn't do it all the time. Usually the Thermostat will open at 210 - 220.I heard it's because of trapped air at the thermostat causing it no to be submersed in the Hot Coolant. If you drill a small hole on the flange of the thermostat it will allow the trapped air to dissipate.I'm gonna try it.
Anyone have similar experiences?
Anyone have similar experiences?
Last edited by CAJUN C4; Apr 7, 2005 at 02:48 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,940
Likes: 5
From: Chesapeake VA
I have not had a experience quite like yours, but I did recently replace my thermostat and found that as long as you are traveling above 40MPH your car should stay +/_ 5 degrees of the thermostats rated temperature. EVen upon it's first opening, the motor will not exceed 8 degrees above the T-stats opening temp. I was amazed at how accurate a new thermostat is after replacement.
Also remember to put the front end on ramps and top off the cooling system and replace the cap with the engine warm and turning at 2,000 RPM. I was amazed at how much the coolant level dropped in the radiator when the wife brought the motor up to 2K RPM for the topping off session.
HTH!
Also remember to put the front end on ramps and top off the cooling system and replace the cap with the engine warm and turning at 2,000 RPM. I was amazed at how much the coolant level dropped in the radiator when the wife brought the motor up to 2K RPM for the topping off session.
HTH!
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
First, the system has to be "burped". There can be no air in the cooling system. The holes in the stat can help with that, but afterward they do nothing. The stat will not open without being in contact with hot water. If there is excessive air, it may not open in time. The stat is at the front of the engine in the intake manifold (non LT engines). The temp gauge sender is in the head. The temperatures CAN differ between the two locations. If you engine is running at 83-84 degrees there is something SERIOUSLY wrong. Is the thermostat installed correctly? Brass pellet down?
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 9,715
Likes: 27
From: Kempner Texas
Assuming no leak, burping the system is a good idea because it's a lot easier to burp the system than to pull the stat. I always to the EASY stuff first.
If you do pull the stat, you can test it by putting it in a pot of water on the kitchen range with a meat thermometer along side to show the water temp.
When the thermometer reaches 195 the stat should begin to open, as the temp climbs higher, the stat should open more and more until it's fully open and the spring completely compressed.
They can get sluggish over time and sometimes fail in the closed position; you can probably guess what that causes.
If you have to replace the stat, get one that has the fail-safe provision which, if it fails, will fail in the open position, not closed.
I've walked that 'failed in closed position' road before.
Jake
If you do pull the stat, you can test it by putting it in a pot of water on the kitchen range with a meat thermometer along side to show the water temp.
When the thermometer reaches 195 the stat should begin to open, as the temp climbs higher, the stat should open more and more until it's fully open and the spring completely compressed.
They can get sluggish over time and sometimes fail in the closed position; you can probably guess what that causes.
If you have to replace the stat, get one that has the fail-safe provision which, if it fails, will fail in the open position, not closed.
I've walked that 'failed in closed position' road before.
Jake
