Thermostat question

[dowsewashere]

Been driving my truck around a bit more since I miss it. But my temp gauge in the summer read halfway between a quarter and the halfway point, now its cold it just hovers at a quarter. Is my thermostat just shot at 154,000? And is it a pain to replace? I still have heat too.

 

[1997k1500Calvin]

They're easy as hell to change, wait till the engine is cold, under the top intake radiator hose is your thermostat .. I think it's a 13mm two nuts a little antifreeze and your good to go..make sure you burp your system also.. Get a 195 stock spec thermostat

Live action!!

 

[dowsewashere]

So looked up how easy the instal of a new thermostat is and I'm going to do it as soon as its warm enough. But I have to questions. I've been driving the truck the last 3 or so thousand with the trucks temp from the dash bearly making it above the quarter tick mark. Am I hurting the motor? And how are we supposed to purge the coolant system. Is the only way to slightly open the drain plug on the radiotor, chnage it and refill?

 

[454cid]

So looked up how easy the instal of a new thermostat is and I'm going to do it as soon as its warm enough. But I have to questions. I've been driving the truck the last 3 or so thousand with the trucks temp from the dash bearly making it above the quarter tick mark. Am I hurting the motor? And how are we supposed to purge the coolant system. Is the only way to slightly open the drain plug on the radiotor, chnage it and refill?

Lot's of negatives to running an engine that's not heating up, one of which is little heat in the cab. You could have an issue with the gage system, just showing a cold temperature. Go to Autozone and see if they'll read your engine temperature with their scan tool. That will use the sensor for the computer instead of the one for the gage. Make sure the engine is fully warmed up.

 

[DRAGGIN95]

I suggestion here though, get either a Gates or Ac Delco theromostat, I have removed a lot of Murray, Stant, other knock off parts store special thermostats for not opening at the correct temp, regardless of markings on the t-stat, I have never had a problem out of a Gates, I have installed at least 100 of them.

 

[454cid]

I suggestion here though, get either a Gates or Ac Delco theromostat, I have removed a lot of Murray, Stant, other knock off parts store special thermostats for not opening at the correct temp, regardless of markings on the t-stat, I have never had a problem out of a Gates, I have installed at least 100 of them.

Stant was the gold standard........ are you sure the Gates isn't a Stant? I've never seen a Gates thermostat, but their radiator cap is either a Stant, or Rockauto used the same picture.

Edit: I see that Rockauto has Gates thermostats. I guess I've never paid attention to them before.

 

[DRAGGIN95]

No I have had a lot of stants go bad personally, I use gates only, my local bumper to bumper store carries them.

 

[Eskimomann209]

My temp gauge stayed at the exact same spot as yours never heated up
Rather than swapping the t stat
I put in electric fan from Lincoln and mounted it in the stock shroud

I made the fan kick on at 220 and kick off at 180

 

[dowsewashere]

Well I have solid heat and the truck never "overheats." I trailered a MK4 jetta 45+ minutes both ways in third screaming at like 2750k and the gauge really never moved from between the 1/4 and 1/2. Now its cold it sits at 1/4.

How could I test the gauge itself? Just have the autoparts store check the real temp? Its not that im apposed of buying a $15 dollar thermostat I just want to correct the problem. Is there a location of the sensor?

 

[DRAGGIN95]

The temp sender for the gauge is in the drivers side head, and the temp sender for the ecm is in the intake, I would also suggest using a live data scanner to see if the ecm's temp is reading close to the same temp.