Truck Repair: Thermostat, chevy silverado, radiator cap

Question
I do not have much experience on working on vehicles but i was gonna replace the thermostat on my 1987 chevy silverado v8 5.7l (350) and i was wondering if you had any little tips on making the job as effective and as easy as possible

Answer
Drain the radiator; Remove the thermostat housing, and clean all the surfaces well before installing the new thermostat.  Make sure you install the new thermostat the correct direction, the pointed part goes UP.  After installing the housing and reinstalling the coolant, let the engine run for a bit before installing the radiator cap to make sure you have as much air out of the system as possable.  Install the cap and keep a close eye on the temp gauge as it is running, you should be able to see the temp gauge go up, and up, then go down about 15-20 deg(that is when the new thermostat opens), then after the engine cools off, recheck the coolant.  If the coolant is old, replace it durring this project.  If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.