If I take my thermostat off to check to see if the thermostat is working properly, what do I actually do to test it?

If its fine, is there a gasket that needs to be replaced when reinstalling?

Can these 160 degree thermostats be bought at any parts place?

Thanks.

 

You put it in a pot of boiling water with a thermometer and see what temperature it opens up at. Most of the sponsors sell 160 degree thermostats. I think I bought mine from Thunder Racing.

 

put the thermo in the water before you even turn on the stove, not when its boiling. then do like another user said and monitor it with a thermometer until you see it open.

 

I got mine at Autozone. There is an o-ring that needs to be put on when installing. You dont need to replace itf but you do need to make sure it's on there.

 

The o-ring on it should be okay when you remove it and reinstall it. To get the max benefit you need to have a larger radiator or have your cooling fans come on sooner.

 

Is it true that a thermostat can stick open and not close, causing the water to just keep heating up and never having a chance to stop in the radiator to be cooled.

Because when I take the radiator cap off and start the car when its cold, the water will start to flow after a little while and when the temp gauge is around the 155 mark.

I'm concerned that it doesn't close.

 

Just the thermostat or the entire housing with the thermostat installed?

The little dick came out slowly at about 140 degrees and then was fully extended by 170. But my concern is that it is not closing after the cooler radiator water travels through it, allowing the hot water that just left the engine to have time to cool in the radiator. I just think my coolant is continually circulating.

 

That is what is supposed to happen. It doesn't just "snap" open. It sounds like it is good to me. I don't know "exactly" when it would start to open though, so maybe somebody else knows for sure.

If it was closed, then it was not stuck open. The thermostat is part of the housing. You don't need to take it apart.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but the only time you shouldn't see coolant circulating thru the radiator is when its cold. Once the engine reaches operating temperature it should start circulating and stay circulating.

 

I suppose so. Unless the coolant actually got cold enough to fully close the thermostat, which probably wouldn't really happen once your car is warmed up.

 

I took the thermostat out of the housing.

I know that the little "pin" should come out, I was just explaining exactly how and how fast it came out. I happen to think that a thermostat opens and closes, maybe not fully open or closed but it moves continually while you're driving. If it stayed open the water/coolant would never have a chance to cool in the radiator, it would just go in and out and get hotter and hotter.

BUT, besides all this guessing on the system works.

I took the thermostat out and boiled it, it did what I said it did, I re-installed it and now my engine is running just as cool as it did before my rebuild. A/C on full-blast driving around hard in the city in HOT *** Florida. It never went more than a needle width above the 155 degree mark. So whatever I did fixed the problem.

I'm all set, this bad bitch runs cold as ice