I had the thermo changed 2 years ago, and even afterwards it still acted weird...it would get up to 220 or so before opening. Lately it wasn't opening during warmup until 230, so I had it changed.

Now not only does it open shortly past the 1st hash mark on the gague (what temp is that supposed to be anyways???), the temp going down the road stays at or below the hash mark. It has NEVER run this cool since I have had it!!

Can I assume my original stat AND the 1st replacement had always been messed up?? Does it sound like the operating temp is finally normal, or am I running too cool for a change??

Thanks for any assistance...

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Jason E

'89 Camaro RS
-Medium Grey Metallic
-2.8, A4, T-tops, 94k miles
-Hypertech chip, Accel wires/coil/K&Ns
-Alpine 60x4 and Bostons

'97 Z28
-30th Anniversary package (white with orange stripes)
-LT1, M6, t-tops, 45k miles
-Eclipse CD and 10" Aluminum sub in JL Audio Stealth box, Boston RM speakers, Xtant 403a amp

Speed Kills...Wanna live forever? Drive a Ford.
Long Live #3...

 

i think stock temp for our cars is 195. What temp thermo did you replace it with? Has your gas milage gone down over the day? Might be too cold.

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85 2.8L Sport Coupe 5-speed.
Mods: Hpertech chip and powerstat, MSD 6A-L, Crane fireball coil, Accel Cap and Rotor, Dynomax hi-flow cat and catback system with a dynomax magnum race bullet muffler on the i-pipe, K&N filterchargers, Gutted Air Boxes, 8mm Wires, Eibach Sportlines and Tokiko springs/shocks setup, Global west sub frames, Suspension techniqs front and rear sway bars, and good ole 88 IROC wheels with Kumo Ecstas on em!
"It's not the ricers, it's those damn V8's!"

Wins: 2000 V6 Accord, 69 302 Mustang, 2000 Auto VR6 Jetta, 89 Toyota MR2, 90 Civic Si, 76 350 Camaro, 2000 3.8 5-speed Camaro, ~68 Chevelle 350, 92 CRX Si, 94 MR2 non-turbo.

 

Haven't checked the mileage yet...it seems to be better though, but remember this is going off 100 or so miles with a 3rd gen gas gague...not definitive at all

He changed it, not me...I would assume he used a stock replacement, but don't know for sure. So what temp is that 1st hash mark?

 

I have an aftermarket temp gauge, this might be helpful-

With my 195 thermostat in, during the winter, the temp rarely gets to 195 while I'm driving. (With the 160 in, in the winter, the needle doesn't go past 130!! I'm freezing my *** off right now; this weekend I've gotta change the thing!) You might've had an air pocket under the thermostat that didn't want to bleed itself out! Or, maybe, the old stat was binding half-open half-closed, and what you thought was the 'stat opening was really the fan kicking on?

I drill two holes in my thermostats, one "north" and one "south", on the edge of the lip... I guess about 1/8" off the edge? Anyway, this prevents any air bubbles from blocking the thermostat. If an air pocket forms, it goes right up into the upper hose.

If you want the car to run hotter, you could always change the antifreeze mix; instead of 50/50, you could do a 60% antifreeze/40% water mix. Then the car will run hotter, even though your temp gauge might not reflect it.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

Tom,

As for the stat not opening and the fan kicking on, I thought of that...the only thing that MIGHT kill that argument though is the fact that the engine would get cooler WAY quicker than it normally would if it was the fan kicking on. Like I said, this is only a theory...hardly a fact.

You said you have an aftermarket gague...does anyone with a factory Camaro gague know what the HELL that stupid hash mark temp is???

Thanks for your help Tom, and to anyone else who can shed some light on this.

 

Ah, yeah, that does make sense. Nevermind!

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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

oh man if mine even got close too 220 i would freak, any time i see it even get near 200 i know i forgot to turn on my fan, normal temp for my 2.8 is a bit over the first mark which is about 110 i beleive.

220 is way too hot if ya ask me.

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http://PCperformance-usa.com/86bird/86bird.html

 

one more note, at around 200 i can also feel a lose of power if mine gets that hot, aroundthe first mark is the best temp nd has muh more get up n go.

course i control the fan not the computer, so its running all the time.

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http://PCperformance-usa.com/86bird/86bird.html

 

i dont know why i was saying 110,

it starts at 100 then a blank mark then 220

mine is allways on the mark in the middle of 100 and 220, what ever that is.

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http://PCperformance-usa.com/86bird/86bird.html

 

well I have a 3.1 92. I did the "hopefull" math and devision of the hash markes in relation to temp and they SHOULD be about 30 degrees between the hash marks. I have a 180 in right now and I have no problems. I had a 160 during the summer and first cold wave... it was gone. replaced with 180.

 

Well mine stays right on the 1st hash mark almost all the time now...

I can't figure out what thats supposed to represent because the 1st is 100, the 2nd is 220, and the 3rd is 260...so how does the scale work???

 

btt

 

Go find a cooking thermometer and stick it in your radiator and see what the ACTUAL temp is. I got a kicka$$ digital thermometer from the cooking section at Wal-Mart for about $14.

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-Dan
-1990 3.1L RS
-Mods? no
-Slow? yes
-Currently collecting parts for T5 swap