overheating

i changed the valve cover gaskets on a pontiac 455. now the car seems to be running hotter than it was before i changed them. is it possible they're connected?

coolant level is fine and waterpump is new. i haven't checked thermostat and radiator could use replacing. with that being known, it wasn't doing this till i changed the gaskets.

before changeing the gaskets, it would be around here. after changeing the gaskets, it sits a little higher on the 210. i'll try to get a picture of it like that.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h151/livewire1568/6%20Door/IMG_1315.jpg

It's possible you tapped the temperature sender, which is located on the intake manifold, I think.
The sender and gauge function using electrical resistance, so, if the electrical connection is a bit dirty, or the sender is inaccurate, the gauge can show an erroneous reading.
Try cleaning the electrical contacts where the wire meets the temp sender.

<p>thanks, i'll check that out. driving home tonight, it barely came off the green and stayed cold. the oil gauge was weird too. it was high during the drive. it wasn't doing that earlier.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h151/livewire1568/Mobile%20Uploads/SNC00112.jpg

You might have pinched a wire somewhere, double check everything around the valve covers.

...the oil gauge was weird too. it was high during the drive. it wasn't doing that earlier.

How much earlier? If you are referring to before you fixed the gaskets and you changed the oil after installing the new gaskets, that could easily explain the higher oil pressure (fresh oil).

Also, did you change the water pump at the same time or have the cooling system open during while changing the gaskets? If so you might have had an air pocket in the cooling system causing the abnormal coolant temperature readings.

-Rod

it wasn't doing it earlier that same day, after i had changed the gaskets and driven it for the first time. the oil hadn't been changed but i had recently added a quart of new oil. the quart of oil was added before the first drive.

as of right now, it starts off high but after driving for a good 15-20 minutes, it falls right in the middle.