its been runnin with the needle on the 2nd 0 on 200....im figuring about 215-220.....i have a 180 tstat and i just flushed it today and filled it with the frontend up to see if it was an air pocket....i also have a new cap and sensor....i havent found any leaks anywhere. while driving it also doesnt fluctuate...it just rises up to there in about 10 mins and stays......any suggestions???..

-since i know someone will ask, no i didnt test my tstat b4 installing it

 

mine only gits there when im really on the stupid pedal

 

sounds normal to me....usually 180-220 is average for a car/truck, especially in the summer. You might want to install an Autometer gauge for better accuracy

 

not normal. a properly working 180* tstat should sit right on, well - 180.
did you replace your tstat, or put the old one back in ?
if you didn't replace it do so.
if 2 different t-stats are both running equally hot, then your cooling system is not working right
with radiator cap off, you should be able to see the coolant moving pretty good through the radiator.
top radiator hose should be hot, lower hose should be fairly cool

as a test, i'd try removing the t-stat completely, to see if it'll cool down well below 180, it should go down to about 150-160. if not, either the radiator is stopped up, or water pump, or something. somethings not right.

 

you might remember that i bent a rod back in october....i finally got that fixed at the end of december and thats when i put the 180 in....ive noticed that its been warm since then and i just flushed it yesterday....fixin to go check the waterpump b/c ive been noticing a sound from the front of the engine....

 

totally not normal... I've never seen a temp reading that high! Mine barely makes it past the 1/2 way point to 200.. i'd check the water pump for sure also check to see if there is a crack in the block?!

 

i just checked the waterpump and it turns freely, the noise is apparently my a/c sounds like dry bearings...i revved it up with the cap off and didnt really see any movement, when revved the coolant would drop a litlle but then rise back up.....with the truck off i can squeeze the top hose and it blows into my overflow but with it on, it builds pressure

 

i took my cap back to autozone and the guy said the spring didnt feel like 16 lbs, so i got a 18 lb one and its running between the two 0s.........my upper hose is only warm and my bottom is cold....radiator is also cold......could my tstat be opened just enough to not overheat?

 

The truck will not run at 180^ with a 180^ T-Stat because the PCM controls the engine temperature around 195-200^ (assuming the radiator, T-stat, water pump etc are all functioning correctly). These are not old carb'd engines and you won't gain any power or cooler running temps from a "colder" T-stat. Like I said before the stock gauges are unaccurate and you should opt for a better aftermarket gauge to see what's going on.

 

umm its not an electrically controlled tstat...and yes the pcm will believe that its not warmed up all the way.....