Re: running around 180 ish after a hard run
The thermostat opens at 140....
It doesn't regulate engine temps (beyond opening up once warm) or indicate a zone in which the engine should run. A thermostat allows an engine to warm up.
You start your engine, and it's a cold engine. The thermostat is closed, so cooling flow is restricted when you start it. Engine runs for a little bit and finally warms up to 140 (in your case) and POP!... the thermostat opens... thus allowing cooling water to flow through the engine, putting the brakes on the heating up process. If the water flowed the whole time, without a thermostat, the engine couldn't heat itself up very well.
So, you started your cold engine, and now you putter around and she goes from cold to 140 (POP, the t-stat opens) and the temps climb to 150...160... whatever. After running hard I would expect 180... 190... maybe 200. Normal. All of it.
Without thermostats, engines would take forever to warm up, and running cold engines is not good for the internals, the lube and fuel mixtures.
180 after hard running is fine. Absolutely fine. The thermostat has nothing to do with it.
Engines don't much care if they are at 170 or 180. Y'aint near the danger zone down there.
