V8 water temp 120c - this is not good

[Mike Larosa <mlarosa@v8q.East.Sun.COM>]

ok, here's the deal:

90 V8, Temp guage cruises up to almost 120c within 10 miles or so
of the house...., fans kick in to 1, 2, and then 3rd speed,
check out the radiator and it's not even luke warm to the touch.

The hoses are fairly hot, the engine is certainly hot and if ya put the heat
on temp HI, fan speed HI it blows air hot enough to feel like my feet are
melting.....

Trying to figure out if it's the thermostat stuck closed, clogged radiator,
seized water pump.

Took the thermostat out last night, beware they use TORX t-30 for !@#$%^&
screws on the thermostat housing.  First time I've seen these when working
on the car...  anyway pop off the hose and lose half a gallon or so of 
antifreeze to the bucket... pull out the thermostat,  lose about a gallon 
and half or so of antifreeze in the bucket, press on the thermostat and
it moves....  was gonna just leave the thermostat out, but it looks like the housing
won't seal properly if I do... :-(   Here's the stupid part... instead of boiling
inside the house.... It's 10:30pm and I brain fart and just put it all back 
together....

Anyway, the question is...  when I put a gallon of coolant in the expansion tank
then start the car up,  the coolant never drains from the tank back into the 
engine.  Even when it reached 110c.  If and when that thermostat opens, which is
87-102c according to the manual, then I would expect the tank level to drop as
the coolant passes through the thermostat and filles the block or radiator back
up ...  

ooohhhh, another question, which way is the water going ?  I'm guessing it comes
out of the block through the thermostat into the radiator, but i've been wrong 
before... (No Comments on this part thank you :-)

So, after reading my gibberish, any Idea's ?  I'm thinking about getting a
thermostat and putting it in tonight.  $30.-.....  nothing cheap on 'ol V8,
guess thats the price of addmission to the 4 door stealth machine...

Thanks for any Ideas :-)

Mike L.

	
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