Problem with Thermostat or super efficient cooling system? (1 Viewer)

[SmartyPants]

Ok, so my mechanical gauge reads about 175-180F after a 20 minute drive, if I let it sit and heat soak it will reach about 210F turned off. According to my temp gun the readings I get from the gauge are spot on. I also used the temp gun to check other parts of the cooling system as well. Pics will show my readings. What do you all think? I have always been under the impression that these engines should run in the 190-200 range. Do you think my thermostat is stuck open or is it set at 160F and is doing the job real proper like?

Pic of Mech Gauge reading.

Tempgun reading at the same place the mech gauge probe is at.

Right at the thermo housing

Top of Radiator:

Bottom of radiator:

What do you guys think? Am I worried about nothing? Do I need to replace the T-Stat to get higher operating temps and better efficiency?

 

[Spike Strip]

Normal. Mine does the same thing with autometer gauge, sender in top radiator hose, though my running temp is around 190-200.

You may have a 180* (82*C) thermostat in there. OE is 190* (88*C). Better off with the lower one. Heat is deadly to these heads. I put the 190 in before knowing the 180 was available aftermarket.

 

[SmartyPants]

Normal. Mine does the same thing with autometer gauge, sender in top radiator hose, though my running temp is around 190-200.

You may have a 180* (82*C) thermostat in there. OE is 190* (88*C). Better off with the lower one. Heat is deadly to these heads. I put the 190 in before knowing the 180 was available aftermarket.

Thanks, I tend to be a bit anal when it comes to my rigs, then again the last breakdown in any vehicle I owned was in 1983.

 

[Mace]

Thanks, I tend to be a bit anal when it comes to my rigs, then again the last breakdown in any vehicle I owned was in 1983.

Clarification is a good thing. These motors have tons of oil and a lot of metal to dissipate heat. They run cool. Even my turbo'd 2F never gets that hot (unless I run it wide open on say a sand dune and then turn it off before it has a chance to cool the turbo.. Not a good practice). F series motors are easy to keep cool. Which is why overheating problems typically are a sign of something fairly bad..

 

[SmartyPants]

For sure the 2f is a huge engine, good to know everything is totally normal.

 

[Slowerthanu]

What was the outside temp when you took these readings?

 

[SmartyPants]

What was the outside temp when you took these readings?

About 50f and raining

 

[Mace]

Yeah, that'll make it run even cooler....

 

[SmartyPants]

It snowed about three inches last week. Most of it has melted by now. Weatherman says more snow possible tonight. This year's high temp was 91f, this year's low temp was -31f, 60below with wind chill. Last winter was pretty mild.

 

[SmartyPants]

Well I certainly think my thermostat is either stuck open or previous owner removed it. Outside temps are ten below zero right now and the cruiser will not get over 140f on the coolant temp guage even if it's been running for hours.

Looks like some monkey wrench time in the near future.

 

[stockhorse]

Have you tried covering the radiator to restrict cooling ? some of the Japanese models come with a radiator blind just for this reason

 

[TobyB]

Replace the thermostat first.

The thermostat can almost completely restrict the flow of water through the radiator if it's working
right, so I'd start there first.

hth

t

 

[Elbert]

change the thermostat and both related gaskets.... and start from there, especially if you have never swapped that out before.

 

[mwalls54]

The top rubber gasket probably isn't seated right in the top of the housing letting coolant by. I run 160* tstats in my 40 and 60 and the 40 runs around 150* in the summer and the 60 runs 170*. I know that the top o ring in the housing is not seating right in my 40 but Ive got too many other things to fix it right now.