Quote:

If it hasn't physically boiled over, I am going to call out the gauge. I have had 2 mid 80's dodges do this that had bad engine to chassis grounds. Half gauge at idle, but when I put load on the engine, the gauges would climb, but I wondered why they never boiled over....



I had this exact condition in my baby blue Hornet. Would idle all day and putt around town and barely break a sweat. The instant you got it out and held a steady 55, the gauge would climb and climb. Well, one day on my way to my weekend job, it was a cool day and the gauge continued to climb. I said to hell with it. If it blows, it blows. I got to work expecting the overflow to sound like a coffee maker or who knows what - but it should have shown SOME sign of overheating.

Nothing.

I had a V8 rad in it (two core, 26" wide) and a 160° stat in it. I decided to swap out the sender just to make sure I physically changed everything.

Now, with the big rad and the cool stat, the gauge barely moves. Now I've got to swap the six rad back in and put in a proper t-stat to see if it gets any hotter.

Bloody Mary, Full of Vodka, Blessed art thou among cocktails....