Heat Issue - Thermostat?

[bladerunner]

Ok so I posted awhile back about having defrost/airflow issues.  Fixed that. Part of it was obstructions in the vents and part was the vacuum controlled doors on the heater core. There were stuck.  So I have been able to get heat and good air flow.  All is well.

That is until the bitter cold hit.  So today we were registering in the single digits here.  The truck starts fine as I use a block heater. Let her idle for 10-15 minutes and it is lukewarm inside, when on a 40 degree day it would be pretty darn hot in the cab.  Leaving work today meant I struggled through the cold on the way home, with the truck just barely lukewarm when I pulled in.  Thing is, the temp gauge does not seem to get above 125 degrees (could be lower really, hard to say on an analog gauge). Ever.  I let it sit after work and I still could not get the temp gauge to read any higher.

I have heard of guys swapping out thermostats in colder months for this reason.  Just want any opinions.  Putting in a new thermostat is cheap and straightforward. I was thinking of getting a 195 degree thermostat or something high like that. Advice?

[1978 454 Big 10]

In a cold climate the 195 should be no problem.

Another thing to check is the fan clutch. It could be pulling too much air through the radiator for it to get warm/hot.

[bake74]

In a cold climate the 195 should be no problem.

Another thing to check is the fan clutch. It could be pulling too much air through the radiator for it to get warm/hot.

    The old guys would put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to minimize the cold air intake, this could raise your temp too without replacing your thermostat.  It is at least cheaper and easy to find out if it works or not.

[firefighter]

It is the thermostats sole job to regulate the temperature of the antifreeze/operating temp.
Even with your temps in the single digits, it should still warm up to operating temperature.
I'd change the thermostat.

[thirsty]

The old guys would put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to minimize the cold air intake, this could raise your temp too without replacing your thermostat.

You are you calling old?  haha

Just don't block it off completely, make sure some are gets to the fins.

[bake74]

The old guys would put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to minimize the cold air intake, this could raise your temp too without replacing your thermostat.

You are you calling old?  haha

Just don't block it off completely, make sure some are gets to the fins.

      I was trying not to refer to myself.   

[Donut]

In a cold climate the 195 should be no problem.

Another thing to check is the fan clutch. It could be pulling too much air through the radiator for it to get warm/hot.

    The old guys would put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to minimize the cold air intake, this could raise your temp too without replacing your thermostat.  It is at least cheaper and easy to find out if it works or not.

I must be one of the "old" guys.  I used to have to block most of my rad in winter mos.  I also ran a 195 thermostat.
The thermostat does regulate the engine temp, but if water coming from the rad is cold...
Your heater core is also shedding heat.

What does your interior look like?  When I had bare steel floors, they used to ice up when it was really cold.

[DustyRusty]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong because I don't have my manuals handy, but I thought these vehicles were designed to run 195 degree t-stats.

Rusty

[bladerunner]

In a cold climate the 195 should be no problem.

Another thing to check is the fan clutch. It could be pulling too much air through the radiator for it to get warm/hot.

    The old guys would put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to minimize the cold air intake, this could raise your temp too without replacing your thermostat.  It is at least cheaper and easy to find out if it works or not.

I must be one of the "old" guys.  I used to have to block most of my rad in winter mos.  I also ran a 195 thermostat.
The thermostat does regulate the engine temp, but if water coming from the rad is cold...
Your heater core is also shedding heat.

What does your interior look like?  When I had bare steel floors, they used to ice up when it was really cold.

I have steel floors as well. No carpet.  My heater core is new and I just flushed my system.  I will try the cardboard trick tonight.  I am pretty certain it is the thermostat given the low temp gauge.  I have been dealing with heat issues for the past few months, but the temp gauge was riding high the whole time. This cold snap has just pushed it over the edge.  This truck has not been a daily in a long time so the old stuff in her is wearing out fast.

[Irish_Alley]

what deg thermo is in there now?

[bladerunner]

what deg thermo is in there now?

Uhh, well this is kinda weird.  I actually had no thermostat.  So I put a 195 degree in and it works great. But I also realize now that the temp gauge does not work. It is reading 40 degrees over. I actually freaked out thinking the engine was going to overheat, but no.  Not a surprise really since my speedo does not work along with a lot of other electrical.

Needless to say I am seriously thinking of getting a new wiring harness. But I should stay toasty warm until then 

[DustyRusty]

Nice to hear you have some heat.  I hate getting around in a cold vehicle.  Makes me cranky since I'm so cold blooded anyway.

Rusty

[bake74]

what deg thermo is in there now?

Uhh, well this is kinda weird.  I actually had no thermostat.  So I put a 195 degree in and it works great. But I also realize now that the temp gauge does not work. It is reading 40 degrees over. I actually freaked out thinking the engine was going to overheat, but no.  Not a surprise really since my speedo does not work along with a lot of other electrical.

Needless to say I am seriously thinking of getting a new wiring harness. But I should stay toasty warm until then 

     That right there is a prime example of why my #1 moto is =  The easiest and most obvious solution to any problem is 99% of the time correct.

[bladerunner]

Yeah it is good to have heat. The truck heats up so fast now too.

It is disconcerting though. Stuff like this shows me how poorly the the truck was put together by the previous owner.

Baby steps. Every fix puts her back in better shape.

[Irish_Alley]

sometimes when they fail people will just remove them to get home then just not feel like putting one back in till they need it. almost like its suprising that when it rains thats when people realize they need wiper blades