today i replaced my old thermostat with one of the same temp. rating. i have to undo the distributor and move the advance out of the way, i scored the water pump to mark the location... but when i moved it back and fired everything up it idled a little odd, but i didnt think anything of it, because it eventually evened out. however, the temperature gauge is showing that its running 220-240...it never used to.. what is going on? this is what im thinking: a. the thermostat is not opening b. the timing is off c. i put additive to the radiator to make it run cooler, it messed something up? please help a buick brutha out. thanks
Why did you replace the old thermostat? Did you install it backwards? What is the new thermostat that you used? A high-flow version? What temperature gauge are you using, and is it accurate? Digital? -Bob C.
fyi - just in case , the "spring" (bottom) of the thermostat faces the engine not the hose/radiator . and did you buy a good thermostat or a $1.99 unit from k-mart etc ? also check for the radiator hoses lookin' soft and collapsed . the distributor may be "close" to where it was originally but just a slight dif could cause a problem , worth a dbl check . del
i replaced it because i wanted piece of mind that it was new. the old one was working properly. I might put it back in. i didnt install backwards. The new one is a standard one i believe not hi flow. the temp gauge does seem to be accurate.
i think there is probably air in the system. When i was working on it, it was all exposed. how do i remove the air?
so what are some steps then to get the air out after ive ran it last night? turn on cold engine uncap radiator let run till coolant has a constant flow then top off? it was wierd though that my gauge didnt drop temperature at all as if the thermostat didnt open...can that still be a cause of the air pockets, creating a hot ride?
How did you set the ignition timing and how mamy degrees total does it now have? Retarded timing might cause overheating.
hola, Pachuco! Ya que Ud. se llama "Pachuco" y es de San Jose, voy a decir que habla espanol... I'm a "neighbor" to you, in Berkeley. I thought of a couple of things you might check to reduce the temp. in your radiator. First, did you check what your timing is set at now, since you made the repair? If your timing is way advanced (more than 12 BTDC) it will run hot, and also might idle "incorrecto" like you described. Also, like you were thinking, you may have air in the cooling system. This will raise the temp. of the fluid because the pressure will be higher if there are air pockets in the system. The easiest way to remove air from the system is to remove the radiator cap (while the coolant is cool), and start the engine. Let it idle until reaching the temperature that the thermostat opens (might take a few minutes of idling). Then you should see the water level in the radiator drop as the thermostat opens. When the water level drops, add water a little at a time until it tops off just below the neck of the radiator. This will remove all air in the system. Espero que esto te ayudo' !
orale. i think i got the problem solved i ran the engine and added water there was quite a bit to add. And it seems that the thermostat is working now because the temp stays around 180 and not 220 like yesterday. my timing is about 5 degrees before 0. im not sure if thats where it initially was, but when i moved the distributor out of the way i scored the water pump and moved it back exactly where is was before. it seems to be ok now. any other suggestions?
its been a few days and i cannot seem to keep the inlet piece of the manifold to stop leaking. I have one gasket and i even gumed it up with some of that putty stuff for pipe threads. should i use two seals? are there any tips on tightening it? should i make sure the surface of the manifold and the inlet piece are both sanded smooth?
You need to take it apart and do it again. Both surfaces need to be clean and flat. Stant makes a very nice thermostat gasket with a peel off side. Make sure the thermostat sit in the little groove in the intake hole. Then peel off the paper and apply the gasket. The gasket will hold the thermostat in place. Then use some spray sealer on the top of the gasket and bolt it together. http://www.stant.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=547&location_id=168
You should be able to get them anywhere. There is a "WHERE TO BUY" button on the left side of the linked page as to where they sell the Stant line. What kind of sealant? They sell brush on or spray on gasket sealant everywhere.
There should be no need to do that. Prepare the surfaces correctly. If there is corrosion on the thermostat housing gasket surface you can sand it smooth. If you have a sharpening stone, you can rub the entire thermostat housing on the stone and get it nice and flat. It should seal real good. What happens to a lot of guys is, the thermostat slips out of the counterbore while they are bolting the housing on. That makes the housing leak. THat is why I like the Stant gaskets. It will hold the thermostat in the place while you bolt it up.
As usual, I agree w/Larry. But I would also check the timing properly. That sticker on the rad support is responsible for many cars not running right all over the world. Set the total timing at 30-34 degrees @ 2500 rpm with the vac plugged & let the initial fall where it is. Then plug the vac advance in & drive happy. You'll be surprised how good it will run after that. Maybe Larry can link his timing thread on this one. :TU:
