Thermostat....Duh????

[Marauderjack]

Where's the thermostat hide on these beasts??:confused:

Unless it's in line somewhere it appears to be above the oil filter in the block!!:(

I'm thinking of getting a chip from Dennis and see they recommend a lower temp thermostat?? Is it necessary??:rolleyes:

Thanks,
Marauderjack:coolman:

[sailsmen]

It's an inline, radiator hose. Hardest part is refill thru the black metal pipe that runs transverse near the alternator, round black metal cap, use 1/4" extension.

See owners manual for refill.

If you refill thru the reservoir/expansion tank you will get an air bubble/overheat!

[Marauderjack]

Thanks sailsmen......Some GOOD NEWS for a change!!:D

I'll call Dennis on Monday to see if he has the chip for my 04!!:rolleyes:

Marauderjack:cool:

[Murader03]

Check you PM.

[TooManyFords]

How much do you have to drain out of the radiator before you can break the thermostat out without spilling everything? Just wait till it's empty?

I should do this too seeing as I have the stat and plugs here and it's now snowing out. She's parked for the winter.

John

[warren]

All note, in one of the back threads I mentioned that you need not drain at all.
I CLAMPED OFF the hoses to the stat. Took out bolts and changed out the stat.
BE SURE to put the new 180 stat in the same way or the housing will leak. I know because I did it. Operation takes about 15 minutes or less !!!
Happy Day,
WarrenB

[Glenn]

Remember getting the air bubbles out of the system can be very difficult when changing the Thermostat even when clamping. Read the owner's manual on purging the system of air. Test drive your MM for overheating for 15 minutes. Some are more difficult than others??

Glenn

[junehhan]

I know that running a cooler thermostat will help you make more power with the engine running cooler, but is that really a good idea for long term? Engines are designed to run at a certain operating temperature and even if it's just a 15 degree cooler thermostat, couldn't it potentially cause some long term issues? These engines are manufacturered for very precise operating tolerances, and if it's running cooler than normal, doesn't that mean additional blowby? I would imagine running a cooler thermostat would also affect emmissions from the vehicle, as that's one of the bigger reasons why manufacturers started using higher temperature thermostats a long time ago. Also, if the engine is running cooler, isn't it also running richer(I guess the chip would correct this), and that could also lead to excessive carbon buildup, right? I've just been a little cautious about thermostat mods, especially after what i've seen cooler thermostats doing on vehicles like the Honda S2000. Back when I had my S2000, some of the guys ran 180 degree thermostats, and although i've seen only pictures, showed some pretty bad premature wear that wasn't occurring on the ones running the factory thermostats for roughly the same miles. They also showed a lot more carbon deposits building up as well..........

[RF Overlord]

junehhan:

Running a 180° thermostat by itself is, as you said, not recommended. Most, if not all, of the members here who use a 180° 'stat have either a chip or a re-calibrated ECM that requires the use of a cooler thermostat, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Also, it's not a 15° difference; the stock unit is 188°...

[junehhan]

Ahh, that sounds better! :)

I guess 8 degree's is not that big of a difference as 15 degree's was on the Honda S2000. I was under the impression Ford products all ran a 195 degree thermostat as well................

[Ross]

Also, when DR sells a cooler stat, he also recommends a different set of plugs to go with it. That could account for taking care of some of the potential problems you mentioned. Anybody?