Car Heating?

So I had sent my 88 GT to the shop to get a new cam installed and the head gaskets replaced due to the old ones being shot. So i also had a problem with wiring of the cluster so i had swapped a originall 85MPH gauge from a 88 in it to fix the issues i was having. Before it went into the shop and when it had the 89-93 cluster it would heat up and the gauge would over heat. Once i got it out of the shop i drove it pretty decent for a day or so with the old cluster in and it barely heated up but i didn't drive far just around town and dusting a few rice burners lol. Now with this new cluster i've drove it 2 times about 50 miles round trip at about 80 MPH and then getting on it around the mountains near me and the gauge will only read maybe 130 maybe 1 or 2 dashes above 130. I dont have any idea if its a 160 180 195 thermostat. Like i said it never over heated with the new cluster but the cluster does read that its moving. Also when i park it the rad cap is cool to touch. I've yet to be the dumbass and take the cap off after i drive it but in any other car the cap is usually at least warm. And i would think for sue this car would be warm and no its cold. If memory serves the engine its self is usually not to hot. It barely ticks when cooling down. Im typing this and sort of answering my own questions lol but id like to here what some of you guys think. Im mainly concerned because i bought the car and the gaskets were F'ed and in the back of my mind im freaking the F out all the time that the gauge isnt reading and that my car is over heating and i dont even know? Like i said as i type this im slowly ruling out the cluster because that would change that the cap or the engine is cool? If i drive my commuter to and from work the cap is warm. I would kind of just like some input to maybe whats going on? Would the car still overheat if the thermo was alwasys open when the gaskets were bad? If it was closed all the time it would get hot right? If its open it would stay cool? If its a 140 160 or a low thermostat the car would never get warm? Im kinda leaning towards the guy wanted to sell the car so he put a low temp thermo in it so it SEAMED to run cool until you get on it? Im going to invest in a digital temp gauge because i know that the stock "NORMAL" isn't very reliable, but in the mean time its going to have to do. Should i just fork out the measly $15 and change it to stock thermo? Orileys near me doesn't offer open box returns so thats kind of why im like ehhh.

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karthief said:

First, the stock gauges are kinda sketchy, get a cheap manuel gauge and zip tie it to your wiper arm and see what temps you are running.
Second, you should have a 195 degree thermostat installed, I test every stat I buy on the stove for accuracy, put a pan on the stove and heat the water with the stat submerged and use a food thermometer to make sur the stat opens properly, stir the water to get an accurate measurement.
Thats what I'd do,

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i know a 195 should be in there. It's just weird that now all of a sudden with the new cluster luster it wants to act up lol. I bought a new one for 8 bucks from autozone and Ima give that a shot Tuesday. That's how things go thought if I never blew the head gaskets everything would work fine but now I'm all sketched out. I also bought a aftermarket water pump gauge from glow shift. Only $50. Have you ever installed one? Have you heard of the radiator hose adapter?

karthief said:

I never heard of a 'water pump gauge'. Whats it do?

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No water pump gauge. Stupid auto correct.

karthief said:

I never heard of a 'water pump gauge'. Whats it do?

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*TEMP!

I bought the adapter because well why not I can always return it. I heard they work really well but no one has actually vouched for them so I dont know. What brand did you go with?

Lol yeah. I'm hoping mine is fixed within the next few days! Fingers crossed.

mikestang63 said:

i'm sorry. I am having a real hard time trying to understand what the issue is here. can you BRIEFLY state what the problem is, If it;s overheating have you

• 
  
• burped the system
• checked the hoses so that they are not collapsing
• is the thermostat opening and closing properly
• are you getting coolant flow
• do you have underdrive pulleys
  
• is this overheating in traffic or at highway speed

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No it was overheating but then I changed the head gaskets and also changed the cluster. Now it won't go above like 145.

mikestang63 said:

Either your stock cluster, burnt connector on the board, gauge- not working properly or the needle is off, wiring -grounding or crimped, sending unit has an issue or
your thermostat is stuck open- which I doubt is the case

Grab a hold of your upper hose- does it get hot? Does the lower hose get hot as well? Does your clutch fan engage as it comes on at 170. Unless you live in bumfuk Alaska I doubt your engine is operating at 145.

Quick way to check the sending unit and- take the sending unit wire off the sending unit and ground it to the intake, turn the key on for a SECOND or so. the needle on the gauge should peg.

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No hoses or anything is hot after driving. It barely has a cool down tick. I could grab the radiator cap all day after driving it for 2 hours.

Also where is the stock hole for the gauge on the intake?

WHAT if I told you I didn't have a thermostat in my car?

Anthony Finuf said:

No hoses or anything is hot after driving. It barely has a cool down tick. I could grab the radiator cap all day after driving it for 2 hours.

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So I was partially correct. I thought maybe someone put a really low temp thermostat in it to keep it cool to rip someone off to sell it so it appeared to be cool running. What they actsuyll did was take out the whole dang thermostat it's self. Nothing not at all. So that would explain why no matter how hard I get on it it stays at 140. My gauge I think does work now but doesn't matter I have a aftermarket one coming in. If you could show me a picture of direct me in the right direction as to where the stock hole is for the gauge? I know it's driver side front Intake. I think I may have found it but I would like to be sure.