Warming up the 1973 Continental….

Hi Bill
I have a ’73 Continental with a 460. The problem is that it takes around 20 minutes to warm up the engine. When I go and take the highway the coolant temperature starts dropping into the cold zone and stays there until I stop for a couple of minutes and it starts warming up again. I’ve replaced the thermostat, but I can’t think of anything else that could cause this problem. I need some help.
Thanks,
Steve
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Hi Steve –
Welcome to the Lincoln Land Blog. The function of the thermostat is to regulate the temperature of the engine as you already know. I like to see these gauges read somewhat above 1/4 and definitely under 3/4 at full operating engine temperature. It is necessary that the thermostat be of a good quality and should have a rating of 190 degrees. If your thermostat meets the above specifications and the engine does not seem to heat up properly according to your dash indicator, then the gauge circuit itself needs to be properly tested for accuracy as per the Shop Manual. If you require further information on the above or a shop manual please contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Bill