Car (at cruise) is peaking the temp guage...t-stat stuck? Best t-stat install prep?

Just did this today twice!!!!!!!!! haha....first pull off the upper rad hose, fluid will come out so have a catch pan undernieth, twist the hose out of the way. The small hose that goes from the water pump to the elbow needs to be loosed by the elbow, pull the hose clamp back to allow the top bolt to come out. I found it easiest to take the top bolt off first, I used a small 13mm socket to take it out. Next the bottom bolt. Its a total PITA. At first I took a 13mm wrench and moved it little by litte by having my body on the pas side of the car and reaching over to under the ac compresser to get some wrenching room. I then just took the 13mm socket and somehow found a way to get on the bolt and slowly remove it. Then pull out ur neck and thermo. Now, this is something I recomend cause this is the reason I had to do the install twice. Get some black rtv, rtv the thermo to the elbow(in other words, put some rtv between the thermo and the elbow and let it dry for a little) Trust me, the first time i put everythiung back together the thermo fell out and I had it all buttoned up and it leaked like a sive, apperently the thermo fell out of place just enough. Once you do that, I would take the rtv and go around the entire eblow, lay the gasket on it, then cover the other side of the gasket with rtv(the side that will mate to the intake). Then MAKE SURE you line the gasket up, attacth the rubber hose from the water pump as you put the elbow down to place with the thermo, and put the top bolt in first....and enjoy putting in the bottom bolt, (I hope you have small fingers). Just take your time, once you get that in button everything up and top off the rad. I really didnt loose that much fluid at all. And that should be it!!!!!

When does it get hot? Highway, idle?? Its a stock gauge also so it may not be 100%. If it peaked, you can warp those alum heads. If you ever have them off the car, definatly have them clean up milled as they WILL warp slightly from getting hot.

might not be ur tstat my heater core was leaking so my car would get low on water an it would not cool the sensor but if i braked the temp would go down it would start doing this before the low coolant light would come on

My temp gauge was doing this for awhile. Then it stopped once i regrounded the engine block.