Thermostat ??

[95z28]

So wednesday me and a few of my closest friends decided to celebrate finishing highschool. so right after our last exam we hoped in the maro and drove to niagra falls. its roughly 1 hr and 30 min drive. so im on i-90 for about 30 minutes and i look down at the gauges and im about a hair away from the danger zone. so i pull over at a rest stop, pop the hood n crank the heat all the way up. it went down a little so i went back to driving and it didnt go up much the rest of the trip. parked it in the garage at the casino and when i go back the temp was normal, and i even rode home with the a/c on and it never got more than half way. thats what boggles me. i have no clue what to do, its not the first time this has happend either. think mabey i need a new thermostat ??

[TraceZ]

running the AC will actually help it run cooler, because it kicks on the other fan.

[Injuneer]

Do you have the overheating problem mainly during high speed freeway cruising? Check to make sure the "air dam" is still hanging under the front bumper.

[seannz28]

I'd just go ahead and replace the thermastat anyway, its a 4 dollar part and a 20 miunte job. if you're having problems with it, a new part won't hurt anyways.

[95z28]

the air damn i still there ... its what my front plate is attatched too ... some thing tells me that may have not been the smartest idea because its only when im on the free way etc ... if im just driving around town its fine. and the low coolant light goes on and off periodically ... even though ive added coolant.

[Injuneer]

Originally posted by seannz28
I'd just go ahead and replace the thermastat anyway, its a 4 dollar part and a 20 miunte job. if you're having problems with it, a new part won't hurt anyways.

Unfortunately, the LT1 "reverse flow" t'stat is not a $4 piece.... you need a special unit available from hypertech or possibly Robertshaw, and they typically run about $16-18. You can not use a "conventional" t'stat in the LT1.

Shoebox has a great graphic....



When changing the thermostat, it is extremely important to avoid spills of any sort... even a few drips.... on the Optispark distributor, and to take the time required to follow the recommended procedure for bleeding the air from the system.

Have you checked for air in the system? When the low coolant light comes on, have you checked the level in the radiator?

[Black97]

I bought a 160 deg one here in Canada at a local parts store. It's a MotoRad 307 160 brand made by Transcedar Industries Ltd. in Niagara Falls, NY.

I paid around $21 Canadian for mine, also similar in price. Looks exactly like on Rob's pic.