Never thought this would happen... (hah since my last engine failed by overheating)

So I'm 1100 miles in on a rebuilt lucky 7 engine. I've since added a vented hood, and a removed my ac condenser (AC already removed) for better flow to radiator.

My temps were perfectly solid all night, however heading home on the highway driving that evening..my temps fell to around 140 degrees maybe a little less. My stock temp gauge even showed Cold. Is this fine? Never thought I'd ever be in this situation haha.

Granted I wasn't putting any stress on my car since I was cruising home putting miles on the rebuild at 3K. Maybe I guess under normal driving temps would set at 140-180 and be fine.

As usual, any friendly chimes in's are greatly appreciated. By the way, great meeting alot of cool people at 7stock yesterday

 

Do you have a thermostat installed?

Mine stay around 80-85 c. 140 (60c) is pretty low.

 

if you have the stock thermostat installed it's prolly just stuck open

easy fix

a lot better than it being stuck closed

 

stock thermostat. I mean... at just sitting idle...temps go up..but cruising on the freeway at night...temps dropped all the way down. Any links to fixing stuck open thermostat if that is the issue

 

You will have to replace it.

 

cheap $20 part from like autozone or something

you will have to remove the thermostat housing to replace it, it obviously sits in there

 

I dont think thats it. Again today no issues... temps rose up to normal 180.... cruising around town all day. Still no boost due to the break-in. Drove around town all day long. Left redondo beach... to head to Long Beach... in the late evenings (cold air..68 degrees or so out) and temps stayed at 140 degrees. When i got off the freeway...rose to around 150 before I parked...


Seems like..just cause the air is really cold outside the temps are cold.
Again this wasn't happening until the vented hood and removed ac condensor for direct flow to my aftermarket radiator

 

Where is the sender mounted for your aftermarket water temp gauge?

 

There's no reasoning in there that would tell me this isn't the thermostat. Your temps rise when driving in town because there isn't that much air going through the rad. Once on the highway you see it go down but the thermostat isn't closing to keep your temps at normal operating temp.

 

Mounted right underneith thermostat housing.

Im picking up a complete replacement t-stat housing, with thermostat and sensor. We'll see what happens.

 

Why not just ask Lucky 7? You said they built the motor.

 

Thats a good spot. T-stat probably stuck open.

I asked because sometimes a throttle body coolant line sender can be effected by cool air temps.

 

Convinced its the Water Pump. Will update thread