Well, I guess I shudda started this thread with the problem first, because I did a lot of work today and still have the same result/problem.
When I start driving my truck, the temp gauge gets up to 220 quickly, so I turn around and head back to the house, and by the time I get there, she's a cool 180.
I assumed my thermostat was sticking upon start-up so I drained the coolant, ran a full complement of water thru it, got it up to operating temp, then drained the water, changed thermostat (new 180) (drilled a 1/16" hole), new hoses, and filled her up w/ 50/50 prestone from the thermostat inlet.
Left my shop, the temp gauge AGAIN pegged to 220 about 1/2 mile down the road, I turned around, went back home and by the time I got there, AGAIN it was sitting on 185/190 and I couldn't make it get any hotter than that.
It's 98 degrees out today and after it cools down from the initial 220, sitting/idling, running at 25mph in first gear, or 55 in third, she still sticks at 180-ish.
Why am I getting this 220 degree spike for the first 5-10 minutes?????
(OBTW, I ran the truck with no thermostat and it never got over about 140-150, certainly never got close to 220).
Does the location of the temp gauge (back of the engine) get hotter than the front where the thermostat is.... and takes a while for the cooler water to get back to the gauge???
I'm baffled....
