ok so i out in a new thermostat the other day and ever since then my truck runs hot. like maybe the width of half a pen away from the red but it wont go anyhigher or any lower. is this normal?

 

Its normal if you didnt burp the cooling system enough.

 

burp it, how do do that? lol i can do everything thing else except bloddy burp a cooling system HAHAHAHA

 

burp = let the trapped air out

For best results, elevate the front of the vehicle. Take the radiator cap off. Turn the engine on. Let it run. When the t-stat opens, trapped air will start to escape via the open radiator cap. Bubble of air will most likely push some fluid out so keep adding coolant as necessary. Once no more air is trapped. put the cap on. turn off and enjoy

Hope that helps.

 

Definitely not normal..I never get close to half way... I've driven 1st gens for almost 20 years and I've never had a problem with over heating..Actually I lost 5th gear going over the grapevine (north of LA) several years ago and drove through the central valley in 4th gear with the air temp well over 100 degrees. Some ideas if the above doesn't work: Flush the system, make sure you have the right thermo, or try a new radiator.. Or I would say dump the thermo and fan clutch all together, but your in canada...In the winter your truck would never warm up...this works better in CA..BTW do you have picks of your rig restored??

 

get a real gauge, how do you know what temperature red is? it may be 195* (If you put a 195 stat in it).

 

i will take a pic next time. im gonna try a lower temp tstat in and see. there cheap as it is......i will post pics of my truck once i get my 35 this sunday

 

Or you could try exactly what was posted in post #2, and not have to spend the extra money...

 

I've run 160 degree thermostats in both my Toyotas. They run a bit cool in the winters but I can recommend it in the summers. The only time I've ever seen any other Toyota truck overheat in my dad's shop was one that had a pretty clogged up radiator.

Both of my 20Rs had been neglected and the thing that helped them both a lot was flushing the cooling system. I used that Super Cleaner stuff from Prestone (you run a quart of that stuff mixed with the rest water - you can see the rust particles come out of your cooling system as you run this stuff). A word to the wise though is that I've heard rumors that stuff can erode water pump seals and even cause thermostats to clog as it unleashes rust deposits. At the very least after following the flush procedure I install a new thermostat. Maybe I'm paranoid but a Thermostat is cheap insurance to me...

I always use FailSafe brand thermostats too. A good friend from the local corvette club swears by them. In theory the only way they are supposed to be able to stick is open. I've heard good things from other people about them although they are usually more expensive.