I just started driving my car around again after it overheated and blew the head gasket. I just got done a few weeks ago replacing the head gasket. During that I ran water through the entire system and it seemed to run fine without any noticeable blockage or slowing of water pressure from my hose. I also replaced the thermostat and water pump around christmas time so they aren't very old. I also replaced the radiator within a couple months and new hoses. I also put in a new temp gauge so i don't have to rely on the dummy light or worry about a 25 year old cluster swap failing. Every time it starts up, it stays at 195 for a little while then after driving or sitting in mild traffic it heats up to 205-210 area but never higher and the electric fan doesn't come on. I'm not worried about that temp but in the near future I want to start towing my small boat and I live in socal, so with summer heating up the traffic will get way worse and also the air temperature. I haven't used the ac or had the car loaded at all when it starts to heat up. I am worried if I do tow or get stuck in really bad traffic it might overheat. Plus I want to do a baja trip and that would be 8+ hours of driving in 100+ degree desert heat. If there are any suggestions for upgrades or anything to make sure the cooling system is good to go I would greatly appreciate it. Or tell me if I am just being a pansy about it. Like I said earlier I have a lot of new parts and coolant in the car so maybe a heavier duty part of some sort would help? Thanks for any help

 

So far it sounds normal.

 

^ X2...

When u do start towing or doing baja, u might want to do cooling stuff... maybe a transmission cooler... and adding vents to the hood so it stays a lil cooler... i dnk, maybe im being a lil ridiculous but you never know.

 

Have u replaced the fan clutch? Is the fan shroud intact/in place? What temp rating is the t-stat? What r your current ambient temps when gauge shows 205-210? Big Tires? New water pump, radiator and stat? Where is the aftermarket temp gauge sending unit located? "Every time it starts up, it stays at 195".......does that mean when the motor is cold, the gauge starts reading/displaying 195 and stays there for a while? Devil's in the details......can't post too much info.

 

I have a newish radiator, water pump, thermostat(195), upper and lower rad hoses, head gasket, coolant flush. The temp gauge is in the upper back of the engine where the old dummy sender unit was. It was an easy straight swap for the new sensor unit with the gauge. When I start the car and i'm driving it stays at 195 for probably 10 minutes before it slowly creeps up to the 205-210 range. Then if I start moving a lot like on the freeway it goes back down to 195. I'm not worried about this temp, but more worried about when I tow. Should I be worried or will it maintain that 210 temp when it gets a load on it?

 

Several questions still unanswered.

 

It still sounds perfectly normal.

Put a load on it and see what happens.

As long as it doesn't get over 230-240, you're OK.

 

If ambient temps r still cool/mild, 210 does not sound normal, IMHO. To many unanswered questions to say current temp is normal, especially since the OP is using an aftermarket temp gauge.

 

my 97 has a 195 tstat and does exactly what you're describing. about the only time you'll see a temp near the tstat number is while driving down the road, unless you have a hellacious fan setup. otherwise it should run 200-210 in traffic etc.


I'd at least turn on your a/c or defrost to see if the elec fan works as it should before towing or doing any sort of Baja 1000 ****.

 

If I'm understanding the OP correct, he has an aftermarket temp gauge which would not be "rigged" to point to the middle, like the factory gauge. If the OP's ambient temps r cool/mild, 210 seems high, even with a 195 stat.

I'm also somewhat questioning what "newish" means.

 

I hope everyone understands that a thermostat's rated temperature is when it starts to open.

 

.....and in mild/cool ambient temps, motor should run right at/very close to the stat rating as the stat will be "hovering" ever so slightly open, presuming other cooling system components r functioning correctly, in mild/cool ambient temps. Oh those still unanswered questions.