My head gasket went out on my work van 5:00 pm Friday the 13th. I ripped it down and got everything buttoned back up but now my temp gauge is maxxing out. I replaced the one on the d-side of the block and the one at the thermostat but it's still maxxing out even before the t-stat is opening. Any ideas? Is it some other sensor that's gone bad or in the Computer? Any help would be appreciated...
Could it have air trapped and I'm reading vapor temp? I put the side one in before it had any fluid and it was in a bad spot and I figured it'd be easier while I had it apart. The one by the t-stat was done after initial startup when I seen my temp gauge spike. When I changed it out there was fluid right up to the t-stat but I guess there could still be air trapped somewhere. Do I have to remove the t-stat and the top rad. hose to get the air out, or should it work it's way out itself?
I'm seriously thinking it's something electrical. This morning when I went out the temp was still up in the 200's. As soon as I started it it went down to around 120 and climbed right back up to maximum within 2 minutes. I know it can't be heating up that fast.
I still wasn't getting any fluid through the upper hose so I opened the t-stat up and removed it and put it back together wondering if for some reason I got a bad t-stat (yes I know you can boil them in water to check them). I now get fluid through but it definitely is not as hot as the gauge says. Even after 5 minutes of running I can put my hand and hold the hose or set them on the valve covers. If it was really over 260 I'd burn the crap out of my hand. I'm lost and I have to get this thing back on the job. Frustrating...
Get an IR thermometer (~$20-30 I have a Royobi from HD) that should help you determine what various temps are, you can check for hot spots, heads, radiator etc. That can help you diagnose your problem.
Did you install the head gaskets correctly? The wrong head gasket can block water jacket/coolant passages.
If the coolant is not really overheating, then it's an electrical problem.
im having the same issue right now on a 96 1500 express van 4.3. scanner reads 195. factory gauge reads 260. replaced sensor,twice. pull the thermostat out and it runs 130. put new thermostst in 260.drilled a 1/4 hole in the old thermostat and its 130.replaced the gauge cluster with a known good one with the new thermostat and its 260. im down drilling the new thermostat with a 1/8 hole and going from there. i know its not right but wtf! keep me updated on what you find
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