I had installed a new radiator a month or so ago, and the previous owner put a 160* stat in. With the new raditor, the car runs 140-150* which i'm assuming is hurting my mpg a bit. I was wondering if changing the radiator cap to a lower pressure would raise my temp a bit? It's a 15lb cap right now.

 

No, put a new thermostat in.

 

Get a 180 or 190 thermostat.

 

If I'm not mistaken, GM made a 170 thermostat but with an aftrmarket radiator, you might want to go with a 180. Don't use anything cheap like duralast or valucraft. Try a Stant 180 therm and you should be alright.

 

how hard/annoying is it to get to the thermostat housing on a 2.8? I was looking at in the other day and it looks to be a tight fit for some wrenches without removing some stuff first. I wish it was like my nova, just out there clear in the open.

 

Its been a looong time since I have seen a 2.8. But if I remember correctly I had to take off the plenum. I may be wrong though.

 

I changed the thermostat to a 195*. Turns out the one in there was a 192* Anyway, not much has changed, the car runs at about 160* to 170* now. Unless the stock gauge is really out of whack.

Some people have trouble cooling there cars down. I'm having trouble heating mine up.

 

Are you reading temperature with the stock gauge?

 

yes, i don't have access to another gauge or anything of that nature. I'm assuming the gauge is right because when it gets to about 220* - 230* the fan kicks on.

 

I had a 3.1 , never had that big of a problem taking out the housing for the thermostat

 

I'd be willing to bet your coolant gauge is out of whack, but at 220-230 it happens to intersect the correct ammount, and then goes back out of wack (kind of like the celcius/farenheit scale at -40: -40F is the same as -40C)

 

Put a piece of card board over part of the radiator and adjust until you get the temp you want. Its easy to heat them up. Look at the big rigs with the radiator covers.