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hemi kota
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
17:21:35
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 Subject: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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i couldn't find a stat at the local auto parts store so went to a dodge dealer to check on one. servive manager said it would burn a holw through the piston eventually. that if it was good for the engine mopar parts would jump on the mod. he also said all the sensors would freak out and codes would be flying. i know many have done this already and obviously if it did harm there would be posts. i guess my question is if you did this mod to your truck, did you have any problems? how long have you been runnung with the stat? and do you have to flash the stock computer or buy an aftermarket one to do this
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Kitty
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
17:37:00
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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It will plug your Kat also
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EBL
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
17:45:52
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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And your muffler berings will rust.
Dropping the temperature the thermostat will open by 15 degrees shouldn't lean out the engine more than the computer would be able to correct.
If the computer was that rigid in it's calculations, may Heaven help any who are driving a Hemi in the Northeast at the moment.
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km
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
18:44:07
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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i have had a 180 for abiut 3 years and never had a problem. The only S@#* thing is if its cold it take slonger to get heat
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RaZoR1
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
19:27:54
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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An engine running COOLER is going to hurrt it????? news to me.
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
19:59:27
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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The engine is designed to run hotter to reduce emissions. Running it a little cooler will give you a tad more power, but not as much as you might think. The computer won't believe the engine is fully warmed up until it hits around 195* or so. If the thermostat is open at 180*, then the computer keeps it in a warm-up mode. It's like driving around with the choke on all the time.
I tried it on my '01 5.9. It didn't run very well, and it got even worse mileage. Took the 180* out and put the 195* back in.
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big_trq
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
20:02:19
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Dealership mechanics are idiots. 180 thermo now for 4 yrs , no probs.
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Lello
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
20:25:13
|  RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Please print this............"Hey you f'in idiot!!! Stop taking our air and kill yourself. Quit so someone with a brain can have your job" F'in moron!!!
Take this to him please......... S.O.B. should be shot.........and he's a service manager???
Please start going to a real Dodge dealership.
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dakracer
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
21:09:23
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Been running a 160 stat in my truck for 3 years. Have 174,000 miles and still going strong. Gas mileage did suffer by 2 mpg.
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RAT
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
21:11:12
|  RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Yeah... Call me crazy but this guy your talking to is a friggin idiot. Yeah the engine is designed to run hotter, but it was also not built with numerous other modifications, like new high flow intakes, and exauhst. Hey .boB. Did you give your truck a chance to get used to the new temperature? Not trying to start a fight but the computer should be reset somtimes to help it re-learn new information, like mods. It will take a while, like 500 miles to work out all the bugs somtimes. At least thats the way with mine.
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TexasTodd
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
21:14:50
|  RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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LOL,
I like this one 'sensors would freak out and codes would be flying'!
'codes would by flying', hehe, It's like all hell would break loose, sh_t would be flying, bats start flying, monkeys start sh_tting, ............
As others, about 3 yrs on my 180, and no belt clutch fan, and NO problems at all, and good mpg, etc.
hemi kota,
theres been alot of posts, with part numbers in the past. The 3.9, 5.2, 5.9, and 4.7,
all take the same t-stat. There's no application in any parts book for it. I know you can get them online. The Robert shaw, the one many use, as do I, is #GT755-180 I'm pretty sure. I sound it in a blister pack, on the isles, in an AutoZone. NO kidding
Good luck
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Darryl
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
21:47:04
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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2 years with 180* stat and ZERO problems, a
cooler engine will run richer, not leaner.
Darryl
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gen1dak
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2004
23:19:52
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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PCM is tuned to make best power at approx 182-183 degrees. The 180 is perfect for this. The dealer lied, pure and simple. I had a similar experience back in the early 90's when asking about cat-back systems. They jumped all over me yapping about messing up the computer and federal laws. Yeah, right. Wonder what he'd say about an MP computer? Seriously, as these guys have stated, it's a common mod.
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GraphiteDak
GenIII
1/15/2004
23:27:49
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Holy sh*t that's too funny.
It'a amazing how some people become SERVICE MANAGERS! It also makes you feel really good about Dealers when you can go from one to another and get totally different stories!
I've been running my 160 degree since the late summer here in Phoenix. No clutch fan. Runs fine in the cold mountains too. Tows great. Temp doesn't drop below zero tho and the heater still cranks out hot a$$ heat. Too hot for me anyway.
And the 4.7 does NOT take the same t-stat. Anyone who has installed the t-stat from a 5.9/5.2 ets series knows it doesn;t have the extension on it like the OEM one did in the 4.7
I almost think my 160 may act closer to a 170 or so because it doesn't have the extension reaching further into the t-stat housing where I would assume may have higher temps than where the INCOMING water from the radiator is.
Just my .02 but I have to say no problems here.
I can't say for someone who is running in some very cold A$$ climate where they probably designed that 195 degree for. I bet they use that high a temp for emmisions and to make it work in all 50 states, etc.
Oh. Here is a pic form when I changed mine :
It is really hard to see, but there is like a 1/2 inch or better extansion on the back side of the t-stat. As seen in the photo it is on the left. The 5.9/5.2 t-stat does not have this, but fits in the housing anyway.
Side by side where I cut the groove for the gasket.
Got a write up with pics HERE
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Lesley
GenIII
1/16/2004
00:49:00
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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I've had mine in for about 4 months. Just did an emissions test 2 days ago... and it was far better than last year's test! So much for emissions....
It's -40 here right now... and the truck runs great. Yes, it does take a little longer for the heater to get really hot, but it's no problem once it warms up. No weird codes.
97 3.9 CC Sport. JBA stainless headers, Borla Turbo XL stainless muffler & tip, 17 x10 Boyd Coddington Smoothies, FMS injectors, V8 TB, Quick D intake,
Not installed: 5.9 litre 360, posi & 3.92s, M1 2bbl , 52mm TB, 1.6 roller rockers, ceramic JBAs. , KRC 210x cam, mopar perf valve covers,
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2004
09:05:29
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Rat, yes I did that. I disconnected the battery for a couple hours, and then drove around for a month. As soon as I put the stock thermostat back in it ran better right away. Maybe it's a high altitude thing (CO)??? Don't know. But that's what happend with my '01 5.9.
But now I have a Hypertech box. I'm thinking of trying it again.
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Rob454
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2004
12:05:13
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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I think that service manager was looking out for the dealer and believe it or not for you also in a way.
If you did add the thermostat and you went in with a cooling or heating problem and you were under warranty they could deny coverage because of that.( all that warranty protection law is great but theire not there beside you enforcing it and they could say were not warrantying it cause of this) Granted he blew it out of proportion by what he said. If I were you I would wait till its out of warranty then you can do whatever you want with it. I had one dealer that refused to work on mytruck cause I had 33 inch tires on it and a winch. while the other dealer service writer said cool truck as I pulled up. I Personally have never heard of a motor burning up by lowering the thermostat rating. I do know most motors today are designed to run hotter just for emission purposes. I do believe by going to a too low a ratig for t stat can make the motor run in a start up mode liek the other post said, but it seems nobody really had problems.
I would still wait till the warranty runs out just because it sounds like the dealer will look for things to deny warranty now. usually those guys write everything down on the ticket and its in the computer and gets stored
ROb
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96dak4x4
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2004
12:18:27
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Putting a hole in the piston?? TRouble codes? Yes he is talking out his ass, but hes the service manager because hes good at lying to people and telling people to buy only mopar, and replacing pistons because of the new foglamps you installed. Put it in, if it helps keep it, if your performance suffers ditch it. believe me it wont hurt to try. dodge dealers always say it wasn't engineered that way for a reason, yeah, probably to cut costs!!
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Lab Rat
GenIII
1/16/2004
13:15:00
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Running a 160 stat can set a code. Don't remember the exact verbage but it is something about the engine temp too low. Switching mine to a 180 because of this.
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TexasTodd
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2004
17:12:00
|  RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Warranty, how they gonna know?
They never knew I had installed a 180 in my 4.7, it's been to the dealer once while under warranty since then, for the water on the floor board.
Graphite Dak, nice pictures, not sure what you mean about it not being the same t-stat. Mine seems to work just fine, and yes, I too made the little notch for the gasket. Some say the didn't even mess with that, and it didn't leak.
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GraphiteDak
GenIII
1/16/2004
19:34:51
| RE: dealer said 180 stat will smoke the eng
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Thanks TexasTodd.
What I meant by different, is the back of it, the part that sticks INTO the housing on the engine had a extension on the OEM stat that the other stats we are using do not.
I am talking about the 4.7 of course. Not sure what you have under your hood, if it's a 5.9 then your's does not look like mine did. Too bad my pic of the OEM t-stat (show from the side view) was shaded where the extension is so you can barely make it out in the pic.
Anyway. I also heard that if it really did run TOO cold long enough and that it was still in OPEN LOOP mode you would get a code. I've been driving mine with the 160 in it for months and no code, heater works great and get at LEAST the MPG I had before.
And like someone said. the dealer wont EVER know unless you bring it in for a coolant problem. If you do, just switch it back. It takes 10 minutes to change on the 4.7!
Speaking of dealers. Just before I came on here I just now screwed my clutch fan on and unplugged my electric fan control because my truck is going in to the dealer tomarrow morning for routine maintenance. After I bring it back home I always take the fan back off and plug my 170 degree elctric fan controller back in.
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