I just installed my new Intense 180*? T-Stat. My first problem was the bolt, as I was putting the Thermostat Housing back on the long bolt (closest to the front)Snapped, but not bfore being tightend down almost all the way. I fought with trying to get it out all Friday night and saturday morning. First trying to find someone that sold Easy Outs singally instead of buying a whole set, Second was trying to find a bolt to replace it, Lowes didn't cary the right size in metric, Advance didn't have it either. Napa though, Napa had the bolt I wanted but I didn't find that out till Saturday Morning. So we spent several hours trying to Visegrip pliers, easy outs (one of them broke), and eventaully drilling it out and and rethreaded it using a 5/16" STANDARD bolt to fix it.

So then the problem is a leak. Because dad didn't drill the hole completly centered up, but thought I had fixed the leak by wobbling the hole on te thermostat housing cover a little bigger, because i stoped seeing coolant in the crevaces of the Manifold. Driving around the temps are fine, a little under 200* right at about 180*-ish. But once the car sits for a minute it heats up and shoots up to about 250*?. Stoplights the temps will go up to 200*? if its a long light, but like a drive-through, at the Bank or FastFood it really gets to climbing. I don't recall it being at 250*? much at all before hand. If it was it was a really hot day. I also from time to time smell the coolant. I thought I had fixed the leak because didn't show up on the manifold, however what I found today it that under the thermostat on the engine block and trans, it never really apears dry. I look in the resevoir and its lower, but onle enough to go rom the Fill when hot line to the cold line. That doesn't seem like enough of a loss to keep the engine wet, shouldn't it burn off. And what could be the problem behind geting hot. Could that small of a leak cause it?

Heres some pictures of the broken bolt:
This is when I thought everything would be fine and dandy...


Little did I know, 2 Minutes later...


Drilling it out...


New bolt, new hole, new thread, new leak :? ...

Did you add coolant to replace the colant you lost? That could cause the temp to climb when stopped.

did you get the air out? use the bleeder screw on the top of the housing, and rev to 3k a few times i believe.

Yes I did replace it, though it wasn't much at all...

I figured the air had already got out, I ran the car for about 20 minutes after putting the coolant in, but i'll try that just in case.

thanks for the input

Probably an air bubble...

I did the coolant refill procedure in techinfo, but after driving it around and getting it up to temperature I let it run with the coolant reservoir cap open for a few minutes, just to make sure i guess.

ok guys, I still have the overheating probelm. I am sure the air bubbles are out. I am losing coolant little by little, it doesn't seem like enough coolant loss to create such a problem. The coolant is still at the neck of the radiator cap and i havn't added anymore since 2 or 3 das after i installed it. Sometimes if my windows are down or after i have been driving I can smell burnt coolant. I have watched the temps and she runs fine, and sometimes, its not even sitting anywhere for a while it just jumps to 220-230* (Whatever the next incrament line is after the 200* mark) and doesn't come back down unless im going like 60-70 mph on the interstate. I thought about taking it out and drilling it but that wouldn't help it, cuz its already open when its hot right?

Could the 180* be making the Computer pitch a fit? Cuz it almost seeems random, like the car wants to get to 195* but cant so something changes and makes the temps shoot up?

I have been thinking about it but today really kinda confirmed the theory for me. I went to go pick up my brotehr from work, the car has already been driven earlier and is still at about normal running temp. Its also 103*F today. But i go to pick up my brotehr and i have been watching the temperature. I pull into sonic and shes under 200* still. I was there for no more than 20 seconds, pull in and my brother hops in and im pulling out. I drive maybe 1/8 or 1/4 mile and the temperature had gone up to 220-230* in that amount of time, driving at about 45mph.

Could the computer be pissed off? I guess one way to find out is to put the other stock 195* back in? Something else I could do?

I dont think so....many 93'* run 180 degree t-stats. This is very unlikely to me, but could your water to coolant ratio be off? In this hot weather a proper ratio is best.

The pcm isn't anything.. totally unrelated.

I think it'* a stubborn air bubble, and I've been there

I firmly believe if you'd drilled a small hole in the rim of the stat, you wouldn't be having this problem.