sach712003

I have a 350 details in sig. I put in a new 180 stat and it has an edelbrock water pump and dual fan setup. The water temp guage is located on the back of the drivers side head it is an autometer mechanical guage. The stock gauge is disconnected. I idled it for 20 minutes in my driveway and it was probably about 20 minutes. The temp did not rise above 220 which is good that it didnt keep rising. This still seems high to me since I have a 180 stat but I have both fans going and the radiator has been cleaned and everything. I had read somwhere that the back of the engine will be the hottest so I am wondering if the difference in temp is because the location of the temp gauge in the back of the head. Does anyone have any theories why my temp on the gauge is a little on the high side?

jimdutro

iTrader: (1)

Your temps sound a little high to me since you say both your fans are running. Your guage is probably correct, it should`nt matter where on the engine you hook one up, the reading should be within a degree or so. There are 2 different styles of thermostats that I am aware of. The high flow type like part # EMP-301 from Summit have 3 bypass holes in them to help prevent steam pockets. The other more conventional type have a lip around them you can drill 3 or 4 1/4" or so holes around the perimeter. Be sure that your water pump is the correct rotation for your application. If you are using the stock fan switch it turns on when the engine is too hot, about 225, you can get one that turns on at 200-185 or less. Use about 30% antifreeze to water and a bottle of water wetter. Check your radiator cap, make sure it is in good shape and correct for your application. Thermostats do not control how hot the engine operates, they only help with initial warm-up. My `88 Iroc with everything working correctly averages 200-220 degrees.