First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ......................................................................... Andy,
Your thermostat is broken. There is NO WAY your engine would run a constant 160 without having an open thermostat. Think about it. You have a friggin EXPLOSION going on inside your engine thousands of times a minutes producing massive amounts of heat....and you want to tell me that your block runs at 160 degrees with a thermostat that is "supposed" to open at 180. No way. Your thermostat is more than likely a "fail-open" type, which means, when the unit dies, it has a secondary spring which forces it open all the time. So now you are circulating water all the time and actually not letting the engine come up to it's proper operating temp. Running a engine below 180-190 actually causes premature wear on the cylinder bores due to increased piston ring temp differential. If your "gauge" showed 180 before the aluminum, and 160 now; REJOICE!! You got it down 20 degrees. That is really awesome. But, you still don't evidently have a working thermostat. Just put a 180 or 195 working thermostat in there, and you will be fine. Why? Because you've already proven you can cool to 160. Thomas -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Andy Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 12:25 AM To: First Generation Firebird-L Subject: Re: [FGF] Radiator - aluminum or reproduction First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ......................................................................... Kevin, I'm reluctant to do more wrenching without understanding the theory. If the thermostat blocks coolant flow until its rated temperature is reached, and I can watch the thermostat climb to 160 and stay there, without having first gone above 160, what is the theory behind putting in a higher temp thermostat? If I put in a 195, can you tell me what temp I should see, and why would it work when a 180 doesn't? I am assuming for now that the gauge reads correctly. It's a Stewart Warner mechanical gauge that showed the temp plateau at 180 before I replaced the radiator. I don't have a laser temp gun, but it may make sense to borrow one before I change anything else. Thanks, Andy Kevin Young wrote: >First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List >......................................................................... >Andy, Put a 195 thermostat in it, and watch the gauge :-) > >Also take a laser temp gun and verify your gauges accuracy. > > > >Just Smile... It makes people wonder what you have been up too... >http://www.dingdongtx.org/wapa/fb.htm >http://firstgenfirebird.org/show/closeup.mv?CarID=53 > >Thanks, Kevin >"In God We Trust" > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> Donations: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store/cart.mv?999999> FGF Merchandise: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> Donations: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store/cart.mv?999999> FGF Merchandise: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store>
