cooling or not cooling question.

have a 1997 with a 5.7, and 160,000 mile. Have not owned the truck very long so I don't know a full history. Noticed while driving the engine was running around 210 pretty much all the time, and also was leaking fluid. Looking at it I thought the plastic sides of the rad was cracked, so I bought a new rad from NAPA along with upper and lower hose, and a new 195 therm. I replaced them all and was hoping that the ten would drop, but it hovers between 210 and one tick below. I bleed the system by filling the rad, and turning the heat on for 15 min, and kept filling it as the bubbles came up. So I think I did everything right, heat works fine.

Questions:
1. Is 210 or a tick below normal for a 195 Tstat and a 350 5.7?

2. Do I do anything with the coolant overflow when you change out the system and add coolant to it?

3. On these motors how do you know when the Tstat has opened, the fluid drop or overflow?

thanks

I sit at one tick below 210 (never 210.. before flush and themo I was at 210.. but I believe some run at 210 normally) a full flush Flush of Dex and green put in with new themo and everything. Upper hose should increase temp when themo opens from fluids running through it or engine will start overheating.

With over flow, if coolant is dirty I took it off cleaned it out, reinstalled and refilled.

If you have some old coolant laying around maybe flush the whole system and get some distilled water.. can't hurt anything but your pocket, but you're in the right temp.

210ish on the gauge is perfectly normal.

sent from what use to be a great country...