How's your gauge read after the 180 Tstat install?
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I put the 180 Tstat in Saturday, and it runs cooler, but I can sure tell when it opens, because the gauge drops down to the hash mark for 150 degrees, then slowly goes back up to about where 180 would be, then down again. Ambient temp has been 30-40 degrees, and it'* been in-town driving. I'm pretty sure I bleed all the air out.
I was thinking it would hold a little more steady at the 180 mark. Maybe it will in hotter weather.
Do Tstats open fully all the way as soon as the coolant hits the rated temp or do they gradually open as it gets hotter until they are fully open? I always thought they kind of gradually opened at the rated temp, and kept gradually opening as the coolant exceeded the rated Tstat temp, but I don't know where I got that from.
I was thinking it would hold a little more steady at the 180 mark. Maybe it will in hotter weather.
Do Tstats open fully all the way as soon as the coolant hits the rated temp or do they gradually open as it gets hotter until they are fully open? I always thought they kind of gradually opened at the rated temp, and kept gradually opening as the coolant exceeded the rated Tstat temp, but I don't know where I got that from.
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I did find in the GM Shop manual for the '96 C/H bodies, that a Tstat is supposed to begin opening at the rated temp, and be fully open after 27 degrees above the rated temp, so maybe this Tstat is opening fully too quickly...
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I have a 180 and mine seems to hover around 175, give or take 10. I haven't noticed it dip down quite that far but mine does flux a bit. Generally when at idle I notice the most flux but at highway speeds it stays fairly steady at 175. The only time I see a large difference is if I sit still to long and it starts to reach the 220 range.
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As the weather warms up, I'll see how the gauge moves. I'm thinking it'* possible I got an over-eager Tstat and it'* opening all the way too fast and letting the engine temp drop too much before it closes.
The reason I'm concerned is because of all the reading I did on this site before I went to the 180. I want to keep the engine temp above 150.
The reason I'm concerned is because of all the reading I did on this site before I went to the 180. I want to keep the engine temp above 150.
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My gauge does the same thing. While moving the temp will go up to 180, and go down to 150 and up again, it'* a cycle. While idiling the temp, will keep on going up over 200. I'm not worried as long as it works.
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Yup. Mine does the same thing. Like SSEi1995 mine will run up into the 220 range if idling at a stand still for 5-10 minutes (maybe not that long). By the way, who made your'* SSEi1995? Mine is a Superstat stainless steel t-stat from NAPA (sometime'* CRAPA).
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I was hoping all of you would unanimously report that the max temp was around 200 with the 180 tstat installed, but it sounds like there may not be much of a difference in extended idling operating temp (still 220 degrees, just as with the stock 195 tstat)...