THERMOSTAT REPLCEMENT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

[Jim Sullivan]

Finally finished changing the thermostat housing gaskets and thermostat, what a job. I didn't remove the intake or the transmission to do it and what a job. I cut one hose off and when I went to Dodge to replace it, $88.25, what a job. Yes I put a 180deg back in and so far the gauge runs to the left of the 190 tick. Thank God it is over, WHAT A JOB.

 

[ViperRichRT10]

Jim,

Sorry you had such a rough time! You should notice a difference. Not a major difference but it will help.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Glad that you finished up OK...it IS a pain!!

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Isn't it so cool, though, to see that needle SO FAR to the left it ain't even funny???? Pun intended. I have been amazed at how cool the car runs....much cooler than I had expected. Good job on the DIY bit too!!

 

[Mark Red GTS Cooper]

Transmission??

 

[X vetter]

What yr and color snake ? I'm in Ft Myers and hardly ever see another...In fact, you're the first person I've seen post anything from around here...

congrats on the thermostat swap, was thinking of doing the same thing

 

[01sapphireGTS]

Just when I was thinking that would be a good mod for my car. I didn't realize it was (apparently) in such a bad spot.

 

[Jim Sullivan]

Original owner 94 and yes it is red.

 

[luc]

A 180* thermostat is NOT going to make any difference in how hot your engine run.

One more time: a thermostat only control the MINIMUM operating temperature of your cooling system, NOT the MAXIMUM temperature.

Luc. 00GTS

 

[VIPR GTS]

Transmission?? Gen 1 thermostats are a pain but nothing to do with the transmission.

 

[Jim Sullivan]

The Viper tech at my local dealership said '' the only way he changes thermostats on Gen 1 Vipers is to pull the transmission so you have the room to work''.

 

[A1998]

You think that WAS A JOB! Just think what it would have been if you would have let your Viper Tech do this job. It would have been a lot tougher pulling your money out of your wallet to give him for the work he wasn't about to perform. You best stay away for that cat! Don't let him fool you into thinking he was going to pull the tranny to replace the thermostat. If so I have some prime land and bridge to sell you CHEAP!

 

[tim721]

i did the same thing about a yr ago on my 94 as well. put a Roe 180 in it. big difference in temps, but yeah, took ALL afternoon..really tough to get at back there

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

A 180* thermostat is NOT going to make any difference in how hot your engine run.

One more time: a thermostat only control the MINIMUM operating temperature of your cooling system, NOT the MAXIMUM temperature.

Luc. 00GTS

Not sure what Luc is trying to say....but I can tell you, FIRST f-ing hand, that my car runs SO NOTICEABLY cooler since the new thermostat it is crazy! Yes, I'll attest to the fact that it CAN still get hot, and does in stop and go traffic....at times. But.....on the average....my temps are way down across the entire range of driving. Anyone in Virginia Beach can take a ride with Rick, or John.....then with me...and you'll see the difference! If Luc didn't expereince the same thing....his loss, but NOT mine!

 

[luc]

Tony:

The temperature rating of a thermostat is nothing more than the temperature at witch the thermostat open.

What control the MAX temperature is the design/capacity of the cooling system,meaning how many BTU's (British Thermal Unit)the system can remove.

Let's compare a TSTAT rated at 180* compared to one rated at 210*

With the 180* the TSTAT will open sooner (meaning the cooling fluid will circulate through the radiator ) than a 210* but once the TSTAT is open there is no difference in the MAX temperature of the system.

Look at it this way, the rating of a thermostat is the MIMIMUM temperature than the cooling system will run at and it's due to the coolant by-passing the radiator when the TSTAT is closed.

As for a car running cooler after putting a lower rated termostat, that only show that the replaced thermostat was defective and not opening completly.

Luc.

 

[hemibeep]

must be missing something,

the factory tends to put in a higher temp t-stat to help with emissions. in the above example with 210*, the t-stat opens at approx 210*. system cools and t-stat cycles back up to 210* then reopens. on/off/on/off at approx 210*

switch to 180* t-stat and this cycle then repeats at 180*.

sorry, luc, a 180* t-stat alows the car to cycle at a lower average temp.

on the other hand, removing a t-stat may cause an higher temp due to coolant flowing too fast through system and not having time to "cool" in the radiator.

Lowering the temps is great for all of us.

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Luc,
Thanks...I understand the theory behind thermodynamics, but I had to tak eissue with your statement A 180* thermostat is NOT going to make any difference in how hot your engine run. Whhhile I DO agree with what you say, based on the "how HOT" portion. If a car is going to overheat, I dobt ANY TSTAT will help the poor thing. However, I got the impression that you were saying that a car would not run cooler....which is not really accurate. CAN it run hot? Yep. Did my car overheat with the so-called "defective TSTAT"? Nope. NEVER overheated. It had a range where it used to sit, always staying in that range. Now, with the 180 TSTAT, the range is MUCH LOWER on average.

No worries...your theory about the max heat removing capability on a cooling system is sound. I think we are talking about different ends of the spectrum...and both seem to be correct.

If I'm wrong......I don't care! My needle hardly EVER goes past the middle tick mark (of the three in the center) after the 180 TSTAT.

 

[luc]

Hemibeep,Tony:

you're are correct, as long that the cooling system has not reached (more exactly used)it's maximum capacity, it will run "cooler" with a lower TSTAT but,and it was my point from the beginning, the MAX temperature will not be lowered/changed by using a lower rated TSTAT, only the minimum ( it is exactly what hemibeep describe in it's example of cycling on/off ( the minimum) at 180* versus 210*

May be the confusion come from the meaning of cooler ( do that remind you of Clinton or what ), cooler for me mean compared to the MAX temperature for you it seems to be from the "average" temperature.

Luc 00GTS

PS: An old trick to lower your MAX temp if it's reaching a critical point (above 240*) is to put you heater on at full blast, the heater core will then act as an extra heat sink/radiator

 

[ViperRay]

Good explanation Luc. It runs cooler when the cooling system is not maxed... but who cares?

Keeping it from going above 240 deg. is all I care about and it won't help that.

 

[diabolos88]

is there a tt that will open LOWER than 180? I saw onr somewhere that was 170. Cant remember where though.

 

[BlueGTS]

I changed to the 180 and when cruising the car doesn't even reach the lowest middle line. I know it is not going to improve the cooling system capabilities but it does start at a lower temperature when I decide to beat on it. For that reason it takes longer to get overly hot.

 

[radta7]

is there a tt that will open LOWER than 180? I saw onr somewhere that was 170. Cant remember where though.

Roeracing.com sells a 172 T-stat.

 

[Gerald Levin]

Is it hard to change a thermostat on a Gen 2? Does the intake need to be removed?

 

[GTS Bruce]

A rated thermostat BEGINS to open at whatever temp it says.It will not be fully open until a temp at least 10 deg higher is reached.There are plenty of 160 deg thermostats out there that do not fully open until 180 deg is reached.So if you use a 180 you are not likely to be fully open until you hit 200.Lowest automotive apps I have seen are 160.Marine use 140 if using an enviornment water cooling system to slow sedimentation and corrosion.No doubt you can get away with a 180.Maybe a ROE 172.But the ecm won't like a 160 which will probably keep you in open loop.Damn don't you just love having to study the emissions section of the shop manual? GTS Bruce

 

[Steve-Indy]

Gerald...not "hard"...but "yes" to pulling the IM.

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Gerald...not "hard"...but "yes" to pulling the IM.

Thats why, when I decided to swap out to a 180...I went ahead and did the blower! I figured "what the heck....while the intake is of......"

At least that is how I ustify it to myself!!