Slick 60's

Hey guys. So I've had my 65 4x4 on the road for a little over a month now. The truck does not get up to operating temperature when the truck is moving down the road and the weather is cooler than about 60-65 degrees. It usually won't get higher than 140. That is with the electric fan off also. If its warm outside than it will stay at 170-175. But I have a 180 degree hi-flo thermostat with a hi flo waterpump. It has a 445 FE(stroked 390). Aluminum intake and heads with a be cool aluminum radiator. It also has a manually operated flex a lite electric fan and shroud. I can let it idle and reach 180 but as soon as I start driving and getting air flow to the radiator the temp drops. Goes to about 140 when its cool outside, or about 170 if the outside temp is about 65+. Is the thermostat just not working properly?.

I'm thinking I should ditch the hi flo thermostat and just go with the standard, but I was told I have to use a hi flo thermostat with a hi flo waterpump.. I never would have thought not getting to normal operating temp would be a problem with a built FE! I figured it would be the opposite. Anybody have similar issues or any solutions? The weather is starting to get nasty now so the truck will be sitting in the garage for the winter but I'd like to fix this issue so its ready come spring and I can still take it out on those cool mornings.

Try some "redneck shutters"....put a piece of cardboard over the radiator. Cut a hole in it centered on the fan, keep cutting it bigger till it stays down where you want it to run.
Up here on the tundra, that's the only way to get any heat in the winter!

I have the same issue using all stock parts.Been that way almost 9 yrs now.IMO a cool fe is a good thing

Mike

change thermostat and see what happens. Are you sure the gauge is reading correctly? Is the rad low and the temp probe not properly in coolant?

I'd confirm the temperature with an IR gun. You may have an instrumentation problem. The 180 thermostat should begin opening at about 180 and is fully open at 200. It may be that it is stuck open and even new ones can do that. I've had that happen before, but in Texas we can't really tell until we try to drive up north. I'm not having any problem keeping my FE engine warm, but my 223 runs really cool.

be careful shuttering a radiator if you have an automatic trans.

I d check to make sure the temp is actually what it says, then take action from there. I always ran hotter t stats than that anyway.

Funny, you spend all that time and money getting the thing to run cool, and then you can't get it to heat up!

I guarantee it's heating up. It's not going to cool itself unless the thermostat is open and allowing coolant to pass through the radiator.
For some reason you are not getting an accurate reading. Could be the gauge. Could be the location of the sender. Are you sure you have a 180 degree thermostat installed?
Mine does the same sort of thing due to the sender location but an ir thermometer at the thermostat housing registers a temperature just above the thermostat rating.

A 180 thermostat should be controlling between 180 and 200. If not, it is stuck open. But confirm with an IR gun before you chase the wrong problem.