Overheating problem

[WBBulldogs]

Okay I have a problem with over heating. I can hear it bubbling sometimes and I usually drive just straight to work which is about 8 miles. The temp gauge doesn't work since the last owner. I took a look at the temp guage and it's no existent, It just has a plug. So I'm going to pick up a temp sensor tomorrow. That's not the problem though. The car overheats when I drive it to work when it's hot outside, like it's been recently. The fan works fine since the last person who had it wired it to turn on when the key is on. COuld it be the thermostat?

[Pu241]

Assumed you checked to see if you are low on coolant?

Pu241

[WBBulldogs]

yeah I checked the coolant level and it was fine

[GenevaDirt]

could be sticky thermostat or completely plugged....water pump possibly

[WBBulldogs]

Okay well I'm going to try the thermostat first. I bought one today. It was the 195 degree one. Is that the right temp for the car? Should I have gotten a lower temp? I looked at autozone and they said 192 was the OE temp. Should I take the one I bought from advance and get the 192 one or would it be better to get a lower one like 180 degrees?

[GenevaDirt]

you will want the 195 when winter hits...if everything is ok with car then the 195 will be fine

[miami man]

remember to install it right..the small hole on the thermostate goes in at the 12:00 position

[Pu241]

To make sure you have corrected the problem!
Check the original thermostat to make sure it was not opening when it should have!

[WBBulldogs]

I'm having a problem removing the thermostat housing since one of the other bolts are out of reach and sort of behind the distributor. I really don't have that much mechanic experience and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to remove the distributor and how to do it. I don't want to end up making my car not start.

[FestYboy]

dont touch the distro, you need an extention, ratchet, and u-joint adapter for your socket. it'll come right off.

[darkdan]

I use gear wrenches. God I love those things.

The first time I did the tstat I didn't have one or a u-joint. It took about an hour and a half. Now with the new gear wrenches it might take 20 to 30 minutes.

Be careful when you reinstall. If the thermostat falls down a little bit and gets pinched between the block and the thermostat housing....it will break the housing.

[WBBulldogs]

okay one last question. When I check the old thermostat, I heard to just stick it in a pot of boiling water. How much should the thermostat open after the water starts boiling? When I look at the thermostat when i take it out of the boiling water it's maybe open 1/8 of an inch or maybe less.

[smokin fastiva]

boil water on the stove. put the thermostat in the water. when it opens put a piece of string or something in the thermostat and let it cool off to close on the string. get a thermometer and put it in the water. let water cool. reheat water while holding thermostat by string in the water while watching thermometer at the same time. observe at what temperature the thermostat lets go of the string. you will now know at what temperature your thermostat opens at.

[FestYboy]

1/8" a bit too little, should be closer to 1/4" but it's opening anyway so that isn't causing your overheat problem. check your pressure cap!!!