Thread: what temp should i use????

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i was wondering what thermostat i should run in my 350 in my 1956 pontiac it seems to run warm right now theres nothing in it for a thermostat...and i was wondering if its worth going with a aluminum water pump as well as a good flex fan i herd they help... as well whats too hot as in temp wise for a 350????

I do belive around 200 deg is hot, they should run at or around 190 deg.

180 is a good thermostat temp to run. 220-230 is starting to get hot, and I would not run the engine for extended periods at these temperatures. Anything higher, and you may be damaging your engine. You say your car is running hot without a thermostat and that you want to get a fan? Fans are necessary to keep the car cool at low speeds, but does it run hot while you're on the road too, your radiator doesn't have enough cooling capacity or something else isn't right with the cooling system like air pockets. Aluminum water pumps don't make that much of a difference in cooling because water spends so little time in the pump.