Hi! I'm new here and still somewhat new to ford, only had this truck for about a year and a half. Purchased for $500 from someone who let it sit in his driveway for 6 or so years. I've done soo much to this truck. I've named her Snowflake because any little change and she feels so much different, every time. But she is definitely a trooper. After replacing engine mounts a couple weeks back, I seemed to have broken the water pump seal. Oh well I've been meaning to flush out this 8 year old coolant I've been running for the last year for quite some time now. Decided to replace thermostat, t stat housing, water pump, hardline off water pump to lower radiator hose, and upper and lower rad hoses. Before, she Always ran operating temp in the middle of the gauge. When replacing, I noticed t stat was a 192 or so. I put in a 180 degree. Temp isn't hardly getting off the cold line now. I'm still getting nice warm air with the heater, but I am suspicious coolant is getting past t stat? Gauge fluctuates a bit too now, right above cold line, right on cold line. Sometimes about a 1/4 inch above cool line, then drops back to just above cold line. Could/would this be normal for a 12 degree cooler t stat?
Unrelated, this 4cyl engine has 8 spark plugs. I'm just curious if anyone would know what to expect if I were to disconnect the 4 spark plug wires from the exhaust side?
I know this might be a long read and probably not the best place to post these inquisitions and for that that I apologize.
thank you for your time and any advice!