Any benefit to installing a 180 degree thermostat?

[DamnYankee]

I have read that the 2.9 can benefit from a 180 degree thermostat to keep the engine temperature down reducing the chances of cracking the head. Any truth to that?

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Nope. Just put a good thermostat in it, I.e. NOT a Stant.

Flush your cooling system once a year.

Never use stop leak, etc.

Upgrade your fans - flex a lite or dual e fans on a thermostat on the discharge hose.

 

[Dirtman]

If your engine overheats with a 195 degree thermostat its still going to overheat with a 180 degree thermostat.

 

[DamnYankee]

The engine is not overheating. I’m replacing the ECT sensor and figured I’d replace the thermostat while I was at it.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Nope. Just put a good thermostat in it, I.e. NOT a Stant.

Flush your cooling system once a year.

Never use stop leak, etc.

Upgrade your fans - flex a lite or dual e fans on a thermostat on the discharge hose.

What? No recommendation of installing headers to get more heat out of the eggshell heads?

 

[cbxer55]

While I know mine is a 3.0, it's had a 180 in it since like 2002. Never a problem. My Lightning should have a 180, it has a 170. Been that way for several years. Never a problem. I'll not be returning either to the factory temperature thermostat. EVER! On both trucks, the temperature needle runs noticeably lower on the gauge than they did previously. I like it that way.

My reading on it in the past more or less indicated, like the recommended use of colored water oil, that the high temperature thermostat was more for helping to meet stricter EPA emission requirements than anything else. No one will tell you that any more, but years ago when the stupid high temp stats first starting coming about, that was the opinion of many. And usually one of the first things I change when I buy a vehicle is to put a lower temp stat in it. Always have, always will.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

What? No recommendation of installing headers to get more heat out of the eggshell heads?

YOU'RE A HEADER

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

YOU'RE A HEADER

Wait. I think I messed that up.

 

[Dirtman]

Man that dude really doesn't like the EPA...

 

[Mike Tonon]

Buy an OEM thermostat ONLY! Use that new green coolant that’s rated for 150,000 miles/5 years. That’s what I’d recommend.

 

[cbxer55]

Let's take a trip back to the future, the 70's. I had a 1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400, 400 motor, Muncie M22 trans, 4.11 gears. Came with a 180 stat from the factory.
At the same time, I also had a 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans AM, 400 motor, slushbox trans. Came with a 195 stat from the factory.
Two different year cars from the same company, same motor, higher stat in the later year car.
Why? The damn EPA. That's why.
Both had 160 stat's when I was done with them. Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And no, on either my Ranger or my Lightning, I've never had the code telling me the temperature was too low to allow t he computer to make the switch from open loop to closed. Even in the winter.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Lower temp thermostat on a 2.9 with EEC-IV will make the computer dump fuel to the engine trying to warm it up. You may get some performance out of it, but speaking from experience, it will tank your fuel economy

 

[cbxer55]

On the 2.9, that may be. Didn't affect the mileage of my 3.0 one wit. Still get around 18 to 20 on the highway. 16 around town. But hey, I drive it like I stole it. Always chirping the tires at stops. Always hammer down around my favorite set of curves. Have the larger Hellwig anti-sway bars on it, both ends. Rebuilt the front end last July. Handles like a slot car. Love throwing it around a set of curves. Frankly, some people try staying on my bumper and have a difficult time of it. Except on bikes of course. It's not lowered, never will be. Don't like skateboards. Still handles extremely nice with the big sway bars. Rides a bit on the rough side though. Big tips are gone, just two straight outs now.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

The thermostat controls what temp the fluid starts flowing at. It does not control how high the temperature gets, it controls how cool it gets. Use whatever the factory recomends....unless you are racing...then you probably would have asked a different question.....

 

[cbxer55]

Whatever, on both my Lightning and my Ranger, the temperature needle points at a place on the gauge lower than it did before. My Lightning used to read around exactly the half way point, now reads around one third. In the hot and humid summer time. And that's going from a 180 to a 170. Ranger needle also points noticeably lower than it previously did. I'll keep them as they are now, thank you very much.

I'm not here to convince anyone of anything. And you'll not convince me to put higher temp stats in my vehicles. ADIOS amigos.

I got to go gas up my 08 B-King and do some corner carving. Later.