Hello again all. I've finally decided it was time to work on the car. Mainly cause here in NJ it's 95 and humid and my car runs hot and I can't drive it. For reference, it's a 56 Savoy with a 6cyl. I took it out on the highway lat night and the guage ran about 3/4 with it going higher on a long uphill. Then at the end of the off ramp at idle, it went all the way to hot. I pulled the termostat out. I've never done it for fear of snapping bolts. Well, I snapped one flush with the head. I'm not sure if I'm going to ty and drill it and extract it or put it on the trailer and bring it to someone with a torch that'll probably extract it for $20. I pulled the radiator, gonna send it to the shop to be cleaned out. I pulled the water pump. It's relatively new. I was going to pull the water distribution tube, but I can't get it out. I yanked on it with a pair of needle nose vicegrips and it wouldn't move. Any tricks to this. Looking at what I can see of it, it's clean and it's not rusted up. anyway back to the thermostat. I've never seen a thermostat like this before, It's got a big flap on it that is held closed with two springs. So I am assuming it's might old. It says it's a 160 which I think may be too cool and if working properly may not let the anitfreeze stay in the radiator long enough to cool off. I took the thermostat into the house, put it in a pot of water and turned it on. I let it go all the way to boil and it never opened more than 1/16 of an inch. Does the hot water open a thermostat, or is it pressure that the water build up in the closed system that opens the thermostat. I though it was heat. If that is true, the this thermostat is shot. What temp should I replace it with. Can it be replaced with a new style one ? If this stat does stay closed, the radiator and distribution tube are probably ok. I'll still send the radiator out, but I may leave the water distribution tube alone. Thanks for the help, Nick |