Originally posted by 250supersix:
Does the motor diesel at all? What kind of carburetor do you have? My junker Rochester B would ALWAYS percolate and the floats would stick... I've gotten use to carrying around a long screw driver so I can whack it a few times; should it decide to throw a fit. 
It seems to work, the floats unstick that way. If you have a Rochester B, consider getting a Monojet! Check timing, valves, blah blah blah.
They've got special chemicals (kind of like liquid Drain-o) that you can flush through your cooling system and then replace all of the water 2 or 3 times. I know a 250 isn't a 216, but I think that 180 deg is perfecly acceptable. My engine runs reall good up until 200deg and then begins to crap out on me. So I figure anything between 160 and 190 is acceptable, after that is when I get paranoid.
So, you should go to a 160 thermostat and just flush your cooling pipes. I'm not sure what you mean by dieseling, but it does sound a little bit like a diesel when it's running badly.
I'm running the Venerable Carter W-1 on the old girl. I've nver had a problem with percolating, but I suppose it's possible. The float only got stuck that one time when some crap got into the needle valve. I rebuilt the carburetor and put in a filter (which I just changed the element on).
My 216 runs on the stock non-pressureized cooling system, which means that 212° is its "red line" -- at least, on the gauge. I agree that 180° won't physically hurt the block, but the temp gets a little too warm and stuff stops working right. :mad:
I'm sort of thinking about just pulling the thermostat out and eliminating that point of failure. I don't drive it in the winter, so that won't really be too much of an issue not having one. Besides, my panel of illustrious old fart mechanics (namely, my 80 year old uncle) tell me that I "don't need any !@#$%&! thermostat". He's an interesting man, my uncle.
I may have to give that radiator drano a shot.
Originally posted by 250supersix's Sig Line:
[b]WARNING:
This suspect has a tendency to jerry-rig.[/b]
They got you too, huh?
Also originally posted by 250supersix's Sig Line:
"My engine ain't fast, but I pulled a tree trunk out of the ground once."
[snerk]
I think that Fumbin46 said it best when he said:
"My '46 two ton truck with a 235 has enough torque to change the rotation of the earth in 1st gear."
