coolant temp

'Today was the first time I've driven my truck in stop n go traffic since I've replaced head gasket. Usually the gauge stays just below 1/2 , sometimes centered on the guage. Today it went to about 3/4, of course I got worried. Put the heater on, and it went down pretty quickly. Its been about 800 miles since headgasket. Re-torqued once , after initial heat cycle. The coolant has been full everytime I check it.

I haven't checked coolant today, so I will in the morning. What I'm wondering is: has anyone put the cooling fan shroud on from a truck w/ A.C. ? And did it help the temp? I am going to install a 180 thermostat. And retorque the head again. Any other ideas? Maybe I should flush the cooling system?

The shroud will work fine, I have one in my garage that I plan on installing soon. I use a 180 thermo also for the same reason of being worried. Mine runs at about 200 pretty consistently. I also have an electric fan because the stock clutch fans can lose some grab. The silicone fluid in the clutch fans can also seep out a little causing it to not be as good when they were new. MY temp gauge just recently decided to die and was climbing in temp as it slowly croaked. Had me worried for a while until I installed a analog gauge with numbers. It showed me the stock gauge was dying and also makes me feel better by showing the actual temp number instead of where the needle usually is on the gauge. Can't always trust many automobile parts that are approaching 25-30 years of age.

if your truck temp is climbing at stop lights, that is usually a sign the clutch on the fan is not working well. See also if you can get a high performance thermo. It will dump water into engine faster because it's opening is larger. Also get one with a air lock wiggler to prevent air bubble locks.

Thanks for the info BradMPH . Checked coolant today- radiator full, reservoir in the middle, so nothing has changed there. That's a relief. Do you have any idea on a brand for the Performance thermo? The people at the parts store aren't very knowledgeable, so any info will help them. I may look into a temp. gauge at some point. For now a new thermo will do, and I will continue to keep an eye on the OE gauge.

ragragtimetime might know, I just read something he posted about thermostats and he would probably know the brand that would fit.
Mishimoto is one brand, but be warned their very pricey. Mr. Gasket also makes a high performance thermostat and EMP Stewart is another name that sells them. They are made by Robert Shaw and modified by EMP Stewart. Again, they will not be the $5 ones from a local autostore, these usually range from $25 to $70 each. You could also drop to a 160 degree thermostat if you want. It will probably be a choice that you decide makes you feel comfortable with and how your truck handles heat. You don't want to have to turn on your heater to feel safe. You could also install a new radiator with more venting tubes.
Anytime after an over heating and blown head gasket, etc. there is a time period of being on alert. It is sort of being on edge since no one wants it to happen again. Electric fans can be installed and ran continuously or thermo controlled relays to start and stop it. They will keep the engine in check if ran continuously, but they also can use a high amperage of power to run. Choosing a fan with high CFM usually ends up also using more power of course. But if it enables you to be able to relax while driving and not rubber necking your temp gauge, it could be worth changing.

stant is the company i've always had luck with. & as mentioned by bradmph verify condition of radiator, guage, & anything else that will affect temp ie- spark plugs, air flow restriction, oily/dirty engine block, etc...

I just replaced the head gasket in mine, too & for what it's worth, flushing the radiator/cooling system is cheap insurance just in case. I actually put on a brand new radiator, hoses, stant thermostat since recommended in the other forum posts by pros, and a new temp sensor, and air filter, too, and plugs/wires... just to be positive. All easier than another gasket job.

I'd be a little iffy on re-torque the head bolts again though - depending on what type of bolts you used, some apparently are meant to be re-torqued only once (someone will chime in too since I forget the different terms for the 2 types).

also: Bradmph: your aftermarket hood/is that choice you made in part for cooling purposes? (looks good, curious though since we all hate doing the dreaded headgasket)

they are torque to yield bolts - one time use. You can retorque them once as long as you don't loosen them then retorque

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pennyman1

they are torque to yield bolts - one time use. You can retorque them once as long as you don't loosen them then retorque

---

That's for the 2.6 isn't it? Mine is 2.0 and I re-used them.

correct for the 2.6 and the g52b 2.0 - not the g63b.

Havent checked in for a while. I have some updates on this cooling issue. I kept driving it, without doing any work on the truck. I noticed the engine getting louder, was worried the engine was going to blow up at some point. It got to where I checking the oil daily, but it never really needed any. Then one day it got really bad, I thought I wouldnt make it back- really loud! Every time I opened the hood-everything looked ok, oil,coolant,etc. Then I spun the cooling fan.. it spun easy and I could hear the bearings.
I got home, installed new fan clutch. Engine is super quiet! and no more hot issues in traffic. I know fan clutches go bad, but the way this one sounded like an internal engine rattle was a new one for me. Anyway, I just wanted to share that in case it helps someone.