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thermostat problem


fordboi415

fordboi415

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
709
City
rancho cucamonga california (socal)
Vehicle Year
2001
Transmission
Manual
I've got an 01 3.+ with 82000 miles on her and I'm now into my 3rd thermostat, who makes one the isn't a piece of shit cuz I keep having to replace auto zones fail safe thermostats about every year and its starting to irritate me, I need one that stixks open instead of closed when it dies so I don't overheat
 
Go with the OEM Motorcraft thermostat, and you won't have any problem.
 
I've had the same problems with thermostats that you have - even the OEM Motorcraft ones - and the latest one that I've tried is a Stant Superstat, and it seems to be working pretty well.
 
i had problems with my napa t-stats as well. i went through 3 before i finally got one that kept working.

when it comes time to replace it next time, im going to look for the ones that fail in the open position.
 
Usually what ruins a thermostat is air. If you don't get all the air out, steam hits the thermostat spring and changes the temper of it. 3.0s are infamous for trapping air. I drill a 1/16th" hole in the flat of the thermostat making sure it is not in a position that it will be plugged once installed. The hole will allow the air to pass through easy but, it won't let enough coolant through to reduce the efficiency of the thermostat.
The first one I did was on an F150/5.0. Outside temp was -0. The first thermosat I installed out of the box, failed (open) on the way home. I then drilled a stat and installed it. The heat had to be turned down on the way home. It is still working perfectly 4 years later. I've done this to every stat I've installed since and have never had to replace one.
You should not use a lower than specified thermo in a computer controlled vehicle. The perameters of the engine are set for use at or near the specified thermostats temp. A 180 deg could cause you to fail an emissions test.
 
Last edited:
I live in socal so a cooler temp is nessasary for our cramped traffic conditions and hot weather and I just passed smog with it so no problems there, stock is 192 so 12 degrees isn't going to be a big difference
 
fordboi415 said:
I live in socal so a cooler temp is nessasary for our cramped traffic conditions and hot weather and I just passed smog with it so no problems there, stock is 192 so 12 degrees isn't going to be a big difference
Click to expand...

I've read that on some vehicles it will. Not only will it effect emissions but, fuel comsumption as well. If the cooling system is not adiquate, It is not a lower degree thermostat that you need. A bigger Radiator/cooling fan is in order. It may even be a plugged radiator that you are blaming the thermostat for.
 
Ok this is really pissing me off I just did an entire coolant flush when I installed the thermostat and the dam guage is fluctuating again like the thermostat is bad but its only fluctuating like maybe and 1/8th of an inch
 
Trapped air is what makes the gauge fluctuate.
 
3.0's are NOT known to have air trappage problems in their cooling systems, so don't even worry about it.

Every thermostat I've ever put into my Ranger has fluctuated when new, so again don't even worry about it... give the 'stat some time to run in and it will eventually steady out.
 
The most common culprit of thermostat failure are air pockets within the cooling system. Mutant Pony did an exellent job explaining. :icon_thumby: Some other obvious problems are from human error. Such as installing the thermostat upside-down and (my buddy did this) didn't have a gasket so slapped on lots of RTV silicone and the excess squeezed into the thermostat and lodged in so there was hardly any flow.
 
^about that, I re-read it and I just want to say I'm not calling you a noob or anything or implying you screwed up. Just check the simple stuff, first. (and since others with similar problems will search-hopefully-ahem-they can use the info)
 
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