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ccman
Dodge Dakota
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3/03/2003
12:22:23
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 Subject: thermostat help
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I spent most of my day yesterday doing mods to my truck. I did the IAT relocate, TPS adjust, autolite plugs. I already have a homebrew intake on. I need to get my thermostat in. Is there any special way I have to bleed the cooling system when i put it back together? Is the thermo on the top of the engine? I know that sounds like a stupid question but you never know with these new trucks. Well, I just have to do cap and rotor, flowmaster, and wires and I'll be done. I'm sure I'll find something else to do though. Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!
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Jon
Dodge Dakota
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3/03/2003
12:28:47
| RE: thermostat help
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What year/engine? Theres nothing special you have to do to bleed it, just bleed it the same way you would anytime you drain the radiator.
-Jon
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ccman
Dodge Dakota
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3/03/2003
14:20:57
| RE: thermostat help
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2002 3.9, is there a gasket for the thermo housing?
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Deano
Dodge Dakota
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3/03/2003
16:39:14
| RE: thermostat help
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Yes there is a gasket. I bought a Robert Shaw 180 degree t-stat and it came with one. When you pull the old one out, make sure you stuff a clean rag in the hole because you're going to have to scrape off the old gasket and you wouldn't want any of it to fall in.
Deano
2001 3.9L 4x4 CC
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ccman
Dodge Dakota
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3/03/2003
21:09:33
| RE: thermostat help
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the thermo is on top right, like the old fashioned engines? how much antifreeze will i lose by pulling that top hose off? Or should i just drain the rad, save the anti, and put it back in? I appreciate the help, thanks!! Where did you get the robert shaw?
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DakotaDan
*GenIII*
3/03/2003
21:26:08
|  RE: thermostat help
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you can get the t-stat at AutoZone
When I changed mine I just removed the 2 bolts that hold the neck and pulled the hose (with the neck attached) up so the antifreeze didn't run out, then took a rag and soaked some of the antifreeze out of the t-stat opening then stuffed a rag onto the opening and cleaned the old gasket off, then cleaned it off the bottom of the neck. put silicone on the new gasket & dropped in the new t-stat and bolted it back up. I probably didn't loose 2 cups of antifreeze but topped it off anyway (mine takes the Orange stuff )
Now for the real pain in the A$$ after I changed it out I thought I wouldn't really see any change in the trucks performance .....wrong the truck would idle fine then when it should have been warmed up it would sputter around like it was still cold, I could smell it was running rich, so I let go for 400 miles ( I always give any mod 3-400 miles for the PCM to learn things) still no better so out it came back to the factory t-stat the very next time I took the truck out it ran fine and has every since. So that is my experience with a 180* t-stat
Dan
Next Time You Think You're Perfect
~~~~~Try Walking On Water~~~~~
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deano
Dodge Dakota
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3/03/2003
23:36:10
| RE: thermostat help
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I bought my Robert Shaw from www.speedtweaks.ca along with my Autolite 3923 plugs. In my opinion, it's best to run these plugs with a 180 degree t-stat simply because they are designed for a cooler heat range. I was getting the infamous engine pinging and as soon as I changed my thermostat it disappeared, and I definately noticed a difference in performance with the t-stat and plugs combined.
Don't worry about saving any of the anti-freeze either. Unless you're using a brand-new bucket to catch it in then I wouldn't want to put it back in my engine.
Deano
2001 3.9L 4x4 CC
photos.yahoo.com/deansdak
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ccman
Dodge Dakota
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3/04/2003
12:03:57
| RE: thermostat help
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Well, i'm not sure what to do now. I didn't think changing out the thermo would cause any problems. I have the autolite 3923's in, and all the other simple mods done all but the thermo and exhaust. The truck runs real nice now!! I hardly have to get into the pedal now to go, my gas has been a little bit better too! Thanks for your help guys, i guess i'll put it in and see what happens. wish me luck!!
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jkw
Dodge Dakota
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3/04/2003
13:19:24
| RE: thermostat help
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Just a tip, when I changed my stat I found it a lot easier to work on by loosening the alternator and swinging it out of the way.
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ccman
Dodge Dakota
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3/04/2003
17:42:06
| RE: thermostat help
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anyone else have a problem with their thermostat with their truck running worse?
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Darryl
Dodge Dakota
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3/04/2003
19:04:47
| RE: thermostat help
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Just did the 180* stat last week. The temp gauge runs cooler, but other than that, I feel no big difference in the way it runs.
Darryl
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Zaurusman
GenIII
3/04/2003
21:51:16
| RE: thermostat help
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To change the thermostat, what I did was run some aquarium airline into the radiator through the cap opening and syphon what I could into a bucket to put back in (much easier than draining the whole thing). Then used an extension on my rachet to undo the bolts and pulled the hose (still on housing) up and out, swapped stats, and was lucky enough that my gasket was stuck to the housing rather than the manifold (otherwise stuff in a rag and scrape it off).
I didn't have any problems going to a 180, but if you do you can always put the 195 back. After you've done it the first time, I bet it would be a 15-30 minute job for you and that the gasket would come off pretty easily after only a few weeks.
HTH
--
Zaurusman
'98 RC Red Sport V6 5spd 3.21 15x8's
http://home.earthlink.net/~tiborkun/Dakota/Index.htm
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roy
Dodge Dakota
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3/11/2003
00:32:35
| RE: thermostat help
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well i dont understand something..i keep hearing everybody putting in autolite plugs and 180 stats and the pinging is alot better..well i have a 97 3.9..153842 miles on..i run the factory plugs(champion plugs,180 stat from napa and i dont have a pining problem at all.i run 87 octane gas..one way to fix the pinging everyone has is to get a good scan tool and set ur sync signal from the facotry7degrees to -1 to +1 degrees..i did that.and no problem for me..
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ccman
Dodge Dakota
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3/11/2003
09:45:08
| RE: thermostat help
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Well, didn't have a chance to go to autozone so A&A said they had a 180 stat so i got it there. I picked it up and looked at it and told them it was the wrong one and they said no it isn't, trust us. Well, got home pulled everything off, took the alternator off which made it very nice, siphoned out the coolant first, and what do you know it is the wrong stat!!! I wasted all that time and had to put the factory back in anyway. Man i was pissed!!! So i have not put the 180 in yet and don't know if i'm gonna, can't imagine that it is gonna make it run that much better. Give me your input guys!!!
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Paul
Dodge Dakota
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5/13/2012
19:57:26
| RE: thermostat help
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Ha !
Whoever said they only lost a cup of coolant was either low on coolant or lying !
I just did this, and while fairly easy, I lost about 3 liters of coolant, all over the driveway, even though I tried all the tricks mentioned here...
Thanks for posting this though, it gave me the confidence to actually do it.
My 195 degree stat was stuck open so I was getting P1281 codes, and my temp wasn't rising even to the first indicator line on the gauge, now the needle gets above the low threshold of normal at least.
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PetePiper
Dodge Dakota
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5/15/2012
18:57:42
| RE: thermostat help
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195 is correct stat for the truck. If you put in lower you are a fool, and that is a fact!
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