Thanks guys! i havent attempted to do anything yet. but i will eventually haha

 

Mine runs right under 210 constantly. It's a bit warmer since I had the aux trans cooler installed. Having the temp over 210 when first started is normal. The inside of the cylinder is always over the coolant temperature (exhaust gases are about 1000F) and when you turn the engine off the coolant is no longer circulating through the radiator so it rises to match the temp of the hotter parts of the engine. When you start the engine the cooling system is in effect and that drops it back down.

 

98 Blazer here. Mine has always run a tick under 210 F since it was new. 171,000 miles and still goin!

 

I just replaced my radiator, thermostat, cap and hoses. I went back with green/yellow coolant after a complete flush of the coolant system. There is a raging debate about the pros and cons of DEXCOOL--the orange stuff. Personally I do not like the dexcool. Look in your coolant reservior, I bet it has mud in it. When I flushed my system, the reservior had to have soap and pressure water to get the mud out of it. The mud is a product of dexcool. Check your reservior see if it has mud in it. It is not actually mud but it looks like mud. It is a thick goo that does not wash out by simply running water over it. If the reservior has mud think of what the inside of you eng, heater core and radiator looks like. The green/yellow has been used for decades and now GM says dexcool is better, not in my opinion. If you truck is still under warranty, by all means keep dexcool in it as removing it voids the warranty.

My 01 blazer would heat up sometimes over 210 sometimes 1 mark under 210, it was not steady. It always took longer to heat up than I thought it should. My heater would blow warm, but not hot air. After the flush it warms up to 1 mark below210, ie 195, and is rock steady never waivers while running, the heater now cooks. After shutoff it will go to 210, after start up right back to 195. I do not think 210 to be a prob, it is just the eng continuing to heat due to no coolant flowing to remove the excess heat.

The reason I replaced my radiator was due to small leak on the plastic end cap , not a cooling issue.

I would not put a 160 degree thermostat, the truck is designed to run at 195. Anything less the computer senses the truck needs to warm up and will add more fuel until it is warm, resulting in a decrease in fuel milage.

If you are going to flush get Prestone FLUSH Or Prestone CLEAN. The flush is what I used it worked great. The clean will prob do better, but it takes a lot longer. The eng has to be run with the clean in for 6-8 hours. The flush 20-30 minutes. You will also need a flush kit. These are located with the coolant at the store...ie autozone, napa etc.