Temperature Question

I have a 68 Ford 289 and it came with a 195 degree thermostat. I can't sit in traffic with the AC running. The gauge jumps to hot. I installed a 180 degree thermostat and it pushed some fluid out of the system. It will not accept any more than a couple inches shy of the top of the radiator. It will just spit it out into the overflow bottle. When it's 30 degrees outside the temp gauge just gets off of cold and that's as warm as it gets. The gauge does not operate in the normal range. It does not get hot enough for the heat to work. IS IT OK TO RUN THE ENGINE AT THIS TEMPERATURE? AM I DAMAGING ANYTHING? ANY INFO ON THE FLUID OVERFLOWING WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

Thanks for your help!!
Mike

IndyBlk5.0 said:

check your radiator by sticking your hand and sliding down the side of it, see if it has uniformed temperature. ALSO, is the radiator getting hot also when you get that hot? you have had same symptoms as me but i dont think it is it, i blew a head gasket.. give us more info, when you get on it hard does it seem to heat up quickly and blow over out of your res, and is this water really hot?

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I did have a blown head gasket, but that was fixed. I am aware of the symptoms caused by a blown head gasket. I guess what I'm really asking is that if I run the motor under the normal operating range (according to the gauge), using a 180 degree thermostat, will I damage the motor? Is everything warm enough to run the motor at it's maximum potential (using nitrous)? When I drive in the winter the motor doesn't get hot enough to run the heat (like 30 degree weather). Is the motor running hot enough? Is it not a good idea to run a motor this cool? Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Mike