Thermostat question
I wouldn't "hope" it's good. You can put them in a pot of water on the stove and boil the water. Combine that with a thermometer and you can check the opening temperature and make sure it's opening completely as the temperature of the water goes up. Definitely worth checking. If the thermostat isn't opening all the way it will cause a restriction that could be limiting your water flow enough that the radiator can't keep up without more air movement.
I've also found that some of the more generic thermostats that are marketed for these cars don't have a wide enough shoulder on them, so, they don't get held in place properly. If the thermostat is moving about it won't work right either. I bought a Mr. Gasket high flow thermostat from Summit that was listed for a small block, except, it doesn't fit the water neck properly.
Looks like this. Shoulder on the thermostat isn't wide enough for some water necks
Problem solved. Should look like this with a wide shoulder
I wouldn't "hope" it's good. You can put them in a pot of water on the stove and boil the water. Combine that with a thermometer and you can check the opening temperature and make sure it's opening completely as the temperature of the water goes up. Definitely worth checking. If the thermostat isn't opening all the way it will cause a restriction that could be limiting your water flow enough that the radiator can't keep up without more air movement.
I've also found that some of the more generic thermostats that are marketed for these cars don't have a wide enough shoulder on them, so, they don't get held in place properly. If the thermostat is moving about it won't work right either. I bought a Mr. Gasket high flow thermostat from Summit that was listed for a small block, except, it doesn't fit the water neck properly.
Looks like this. Shoulder on the thermostat isn't wide enough for some water necks
Problem solved. Should look like this with a wide shoulder
