i finally got tired of having no heat and replaced my thermostat, which was stuck open. I put in 195 degree one as recommended in th Haynes manual. Now it wants to run hot. My buddy said i should put in a lower temp one, maybe 160 or 150. Is this sounding right or is it something else? Any help would be great thanks.

 

195 is oem stat for the truck. It should work the best for your truck over any other stat. Would not recommend going to lower stat. Are you saying the temp out of vents is too hot now or truck is running hot now. If it is truck, you probably got an air pocket (vapor lock) in the line when you changed the stat. Try "burping" the system. And check your coolant level afterwards. It is possible to show full even with a vapor lock. I'm quite sure that is your problem though.

 

You want to stick with a 180 degree thermostat. Going any lower will make the computer dump in too much fuel and make it run too rich.

 

how do i "burp" the system? the allen screw on the top of my water box doesnt come out. Is that necessary for burping?

 

No, it doesn't need removed to burp the system. To make sure heater core is clear, you can remove both hoses from the engine that go to the core. Use a H2O hose and run water through the inlet side and make sure it comes out without bubbles or pockets on the outlet side then reconnect them. As for the engine side, leave cap off radiator, start truck, let it get to running temp. As tstat opens to circulate coolant, squeeze and release the upper hose frequently to work out air pockets. Fill with coolant mixture as needed. When coolant gets to bottom rim of fill tube, replace the cap. Make sure your overflow tank is filled to proper mark and you should be good to go.

 

I'd go with a 180 stat. Higher (195) engine temps make for cleaner emissions which is why that's what the manual and factory recommend. Lower temps make for more power, but going down to 160 it'll never heat up all the way and the choke may not fully open, causing it to run rich.

 

180 works best for me on my '95 5.2, it has lasted longer than the 195's I had in the past