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180 degree thermostat

HSKR R/T

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Have to agree here. If you have a 220 that and you are hitting 250, well it is open at 220, so what difference does it make if it opens at 180? It is still circulating 250 coolant.

That said, while my truck is a slow mass produced pickup truck like you guys drive I leave it stock for that reason, my car has a 180 Stat. Why? Because while they had it apart putting in a cam, I replaced all the other parts. And the tuner said I should. So what's another $20? 😆
If your tuner tuned for it, that's a different story.
 

silver billet

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Have to agree here. If you have a 220 that and you are hitting 250, well it is open at 220, so what difference does it make if it opens at 180? It is still circulating 250 coolant.

That's not how it works. Lower tstat = lower coolant at all times (once hitting the 180ish threshold) = cooler engine. My truck now tows at the same oil temps it used to run at unloaded.

When climbing a grade, you also start with a lower temps, giving you more breathing room before hitting >= 250.

If the grade was long enough, I might eventually reach the same temps I saw before, but the point is I don't come across those hills. The next step to combat that would be an aftermarker oil cooler which was on my list but is on hold due to the success of these 2 mods.
 

HSKR R/T

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That's not how it works. Lower tstat = lower coolant at all times (once hitting the 180ish threshold) = cooler engine. My truck now tows at the same oil temps it used to run at unloaded.

When climbing a grade, you also start with a lower temps, giving you more breathing room before hitting >= 250.

If the grade was long enough, I might eventually reach the same temps I saw before, but the point is I don't come across those hills. The next step to combat that would be an aftermarker oil cooler which was on my list but is on hold due to the success of these 2 mods.
Still goes back to, if you can't maintain operating temp at freeway speeds, then there is an issue with the cooling system not working properly and it's not a thermostat issue. Adding a colder thermostat may seems like it helped, but it's just masking the problem, by giving you more time before you get into danger zone for engine temps.
 

kayallen

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I think there’s a distinction to be made between want and need.
The truck needs nothing, it’s running exactly as designed. At the operating temps most modern gas vehicles do, between 195 and 225, depending on what source you ask/look at/read.

Want… that’s all on you. You can want it to run 165 degrees, painted like a speedboat and turn on your windshield washers to simulate water/waves splashing about you… LOL.

Feel free to do whatever you want…your truck, your money.
Just make sure you’re able to separate the two. Sometimes that’s a bit blurry. I think in this case, though, it was a little more clear cut.
Oh by the way I had the device not supported on my screen..seems to be common..I tried everything..fixed it today...I plugged in a phone charger cable into the small port above the big port ..the end that goes in your phone..nothing attached to it..it works now..does that make sense?..It comes back if I unplug it but I will just leave it plugged in..and see over time if fixes itself..but for now it's gone..
 

theblet

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Oh by the way I had the device not supported on my screen..seems to be common..I tried everything..fixed it today...I plugged in a phone charger cable into the small port above the big port ..the end that goes in your phone..nothing attached to it..it works now..does that make sense?..It comes back if I unplug it but I will just leave it plugged in..and see over time if fixes itself..but for now it's gone..
Change the thermostat. Sorry couldn’t resist. 😆
 

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