Thanks, Dennis. I am still going to try to burp it. I'll use the barbque thermometer when my wife is not looking. I really wasnt able to get more than 4.5 gallons of coolant in.

 

One other thing I forgot to mention, if you have a heater open the valve. You don't want a bunch of air in the heater core.

 

The heater valve on the intake is open and the heater is blowing hot air as I speak. I get wi fi in my garage! Truck has been idling for 25 minutes and the highest temp I got on my wife's meat thermometer is 176° with the radiator cap off. Steam is coming from the radiator but but not alot of circulation of coolant.

After 30 minutes, the temp was 176.9°. The temp gauge needle was a shade past 3/4 hot.

So the coolant never got hot enough for the T-stat to open fully, right? So Dennis, ya think this is my new normal?

 

I just came in from the same test to my 55 F350 with a 239. After 26 minutes the temp was 168.4° and the temp needle was right on halfway.

What does this all mean?

 

Abe, you're not running too hot. With the higher temp thermostat, you'll have a higher reading on the gauge. I believe it's opening at or about 180. If it wasn't opening, you would be boiling in the engine. It's your new normal. Dennis

 

OK Dennis. I'll take your word for it but will keep it close to home for now until I get used to it.

thanks!

Here is the video I promised. There is a dark spot in the video. I thought I paused it and laid my phone down but it kept recording but you hear the truck pull out from the stop sign and me blowing the horn at the neighbor kids. Then I pick up the phone again and get some shots out the window until I notice the temp gauge.

Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXzk...ature=youtu.be

 

The tech from Stant Thermostats just returned my call.

Here's the details about their T-stats:
The 160° T-stat starts to open at 160° and is full open at 180°.
The 180° T-stat starts to open at 180° and is full open at 200°.

So with my burp test yesterday with the high temp at 176.9° the T-stat didnt even start to open. So I'll try it again with a higher rev.

The shop manual has two listings in the spec section.
STANDARD: opens at 152 -157°, full open at 177°.
HIGH TEMP: opens at167-172, full open at 192°.

Which one is best for my 239? Or am I worrying too much about this? Before when I had the 160° T-stat in I worried it wasn't getting hot enough and not burning off waste products. Now I am worrying that its getting too hot.