Aftermarket 8hp trans thermostat kit

[caulk04]

Ram 1500 8 Speed Transmission Thermostat Upgrade 2013-2018, 2019-2023 Classic | eBay

Unlike thermostat bypasses, this kit utilizes a high quality full-flow thermostat to regulate temperature that is mounted away from the transmission in a serviceable position. -Two installation options: Option 1 removes the factory thermostat and allows fluid flow to split between the heater and...

www.ebay.com

I have no association with this product, but I'm a fan of it being put together for those who don't want to source the parts or suffer the guess work.

Update 1/3/24 - Garret will be offering my bypass with his kit to eliminate the heater from the circuit. Beyond that mention I'll let him decide how to recommend it's usage with his thermostat kit.

 

[NETim]

I would assume this would be installed in conjunction with your bypass doodad?

 

[Wild one]

I would assume this would be installed in conjunction with your bypass doodad?

Nope,he totally removes the thermostat.This replaces the stock thermostat with a totally seperate stand alone thermostat,that does away with the factories little pellet thermostat,that's been known to stick. Garret has pics of his truck running 170F on transmission temps on the Hi-po facebook pages.He just put a post up about including Caulks bypass for the guys who want to bypass the heater.
See if he joins this forum,i sent him a link to it

 

[Kamine]

Hey fellas! I'm the seller of the kit Caulk posted (thanks!). @Wild one tipped me off about this thread and asked I pop in.

Happy to answer questions anyone may have. The main ones I've been getting are below along with the updates done to the kit since the first one installed on my personal truck.

Kit Updates:
-Changed the cooler return to thermostat hose end from a 180 swivel to a 90 swivel
-All connections to the factory lines and cooler now use ORB hose ends instead of ORB to AN adapters with AN hose ends. It costs a little more, but this removes (4) components and potential leak points from the design.

FAQ's
1. Will this work with a bypass installed? Short answer is yes. The only downside is longer warmup times but it's not much of a concern unless you live where it regularly gets down to 0 or below in which case you're probably better off keeping the heater functional. I am actually in talks with Caulk to bulk buy his bypass to package with this kit as an installation option.

2. Should I get the 165 or 185 degree option? In most cases I recommend the 165. It will stabilize between 160-180 or about 20 degrees cooler than factory. This is the low end of ZF's recommended temp and I personally like the extra cushion on the high end for if you encounter extreme conditions like a heavy load on a scorching day. Climate and usage is a consideration though: I put together a kit for a gentleman in Alaska and we landed on the 185.

3. Why is it so much? I get this one a lot: You can buy the thermostat for $160 so at first glance the kit is overpriced. However, making it application specific adds up quickly and I have a couple hours of time in assembly, leak testing, packaging, and shipping drop-off. Add in shipping cost and selling fees and I make a lot less than you'd think, but it's a fun side gig for me and I enjoy being able to share knowledge with the community.

4. How hard is the install? Installation instructions are included to make things easier. I usually say the difficulty is about a 4, with 1 being an oil change and 10 being an engine rebuild. The hardest part is getting to and removing the snap ring on the factory thermostat. The rest is a breeze.

5. Do I need anything else for the install? Per the instructions, you need basic tools as well as snap ring pliers and torx sockets. You will also need a quart of ZF or Mopar 8 speed fluid to top the system off.

 

[caulk04]

I like how well your instructions are built, very nice!

 

[Wild one]

Hey fellas! I'm the seller of the kit Caulk posted (thanks!). @Wild one tipped me off about this thread and asked I pop in.

Happy to answer questions anyone may have. The main ones I've been getting are below along with the updates done to the kit since the first one installed on my personal truck.

Kit Updates:
-Changed the cooler return to thermostat hose end from a 180 swivel to a 90 swivel
-All connections to the factory lines and cooler now use ORB hose ends instead of ORB to AN adapters with AN hose ends. It costs a little more, but this removes (4) components and potential leak points from the design.

FAQ's
1. Will this work with a bypass installed? Short answer is yes. The only downside is longer warmup times but it's not much of a concern unless you live where it regularly gets down to 0 or below in which case you're probably better off keeping the heater functional. I am actually in talks with Caulk to bulk buy his bypass to package with this kit as an installation option.

2. Should I get the 165 or 185 degree option? In most cases I recommend the 165. It will stabilize between 160-180 or about 20 degrees cooler than factory. This is the low end of ZF's recommended temp and I personally like the extra cushion on the high end for if you encounter extreme conditions like a heavy load on a scorching day. Climate and usage is a consideration though: I put together a kit for a gentleman in Alaska and we landed on the 185.

3. Why is it so much? I get this one a lot: You can buy the thermostat for $160 so at first glance the kit is overpriced. However, making it application specific adds up quickly and I have a couple hours of time in assembly, leak testing, packaging, and shipping drop-off. Add in shipping cost and selling fees and I make a lot less than you'd think, but it's a fun side gig for me and I enjoy being able to share knowledge with the community.

4. How hard is the install? Installation instructions are included to make things easier. I usually say the difficulty is about a 4, with 1 being an oil change and 10 being an engine rebuild. The hardest part is getting to and removing the snap ring on the factory thermostat. The rest is a breeze.

5. Do I need anything else for the install? Per the instructions, you need basic tools as well as snap ring pliers and torx sockets. You will also need a quart of ZF or Mopar 8 speed fluid to top the system off.

Welcome abroad Garret. I'm like Caulk04,i think you have a well designed kit,that'll be a good option for guys who don't like their 8 speeds running at 190+ temps.
Rick

 

[Kamine]

Jesse is the man and already has a dozen of his bypasses heading my way. I plan to update the kit and instructions to include this as an installation option.

@NETim, this applies to active orders as well so I'll make sure you get one with yours!

 

[NETim]

Jesse is the man and already has a dozen of his bypasses heading my way. I plan to update the kit and instructions to include this as an installation option.

@NETim, this applies to active orders as well so I'll make sure you get one with yours!

Thank you! But honestly, I don't need the bypass doodad as I have it installed already on my rig. I will probably remove it and re-install the factory part since it appears that I have to go back in there to install your thermostat kit.

Thanks!

 

[Wild one]

Thank you! But honestly, I don't need the bypass doodad as I have it installed already on my rig. I will probably remove it and re-install the factory part since it appears that I have to go back in there to install your thermostat kit.

Thanks!

I might be wrong,but i think Garret removes the factory thermostat,re-installing it would defeat the purpose of his seperate stand alone thermostat.You can run his kit with or with out Caulks bypass,with Jesse's bypass no fluid is routed through the thermal/heater unit,with-out the bypass,fluid still flows through the heater assembly.
At least that's my understanding of his kit from the couple of conversations i've had with him.
If you go through his instructions,he shows how to remove the original thermostat on pg 4

 

[NETim]

I might be wrong,but i think Garret removes the factory thermostat,re-installing it would defeat the purpose of his seperate stand alone thermostat.You can run his kit with or with out Caulks bypass,with Jesse's bypass no fluid is routed through the thermal/heater unit,with-out the bypass,fluid still flows through the heater assembly.
At least that's my understanding of his kit from the couple of conversations i've had with him.
If you go through his instructions,he shows how to remove the original thermostat on pg 4

Okay. Reading through the install instructions a few times, I think I understand now. Without the bypass installed, the transmission will warm up faster.

 

[Wild one]

Okay. Reading through the install instructions a few times, I think I understand now. Without the bypass installed, the transmission will warm up faster.

It could potentially add some heat to the fluid once you are at full operating temp,but probably not enough heat to really worry about

 

[caulk04]

Correct-o fellas. Utilizing my bypass with the thermostat kit will be a great option, preferred in my opinion.

Using Garrett's thermostat kit will complement my bypass by warming the trans fluid quicker than with my bypass alone. This is the only real drawback with my bypass for those in cold climates.

Using my bypass with Garrett's kit complements by removing coolant heat from the trans fluid completely.

 

[Wild one]

Correct-o fellas. Leaving my bypass in will be a great option, preferred in my opinion.

Using Garrett's thermostat kit will complement my bypass by warming the trans fluid quicker than with my bypass alone. This is the only real drawback with my bypass for those in cold climates.

Using my bypass with Garrett's kit complements by removing coolant heat from the trans fluid completely.

The cars and HD trucks don't have the thermal management unit on the side of their transmissions,so i agree,i don't think it's needed ,especially with how light the fluid is in the 8 speeds,it's not a hell'va lot thicker then water

 

[Kamine]

Thank you! But honestly, I don't need the bypass doodad as I have it installed already on my rig. I will probably remove it and re-install the factory part since it appears that I have to go back in there to install your thermostat kit.

Thanks!

Tim, Rick and Jesse are correct. You can use the bypass as installed meaning you won't even need to get under the truck to install the new kit, except maybe to add the push in zip tie to support the hard lines.

Since you already have it installed I'd recommend leaving it in place and running it. If it's not warming up fast enough for your liking, remove it later but I suspect you will be happy with the outcome and that it will be unnecessary to remove it.

 

[NETim]

Tim, Rick and Jesse are correct. You can use the bypass as installed meaning you won't even need to get under the truck to install the new kit, except maybe to add the push in zip tie to support the hard lines.

Since you already have it installed I'd recommend leaving it in place and running it. If it's not warming up fast enough for your liking, remove it later but I suspect you will be happy with the outcome and that it will be unnecessary to remove it.

I like the sound of that! I wasn't looking forward to battling that snap ring again.

 

[RickyJ108]

Hey fellas! I'm the seller of the kit Caulk posted (thanks!). @Wild one tipped me off about this thread and asked I pop in.

Happy to answer questions anyone may have. The main ones I've been getting are below along with the updates done to the kit since the first one installed on my personal truck.

Kit Updates:
-Changed the cooler return to thermostat hose end from a 180 swivel to a 90 swivel
-All connections to the factory lines and cooler now use ORB hose ends instead of ORB to AN adapters with AN hose ends. It costs a little more, but this removes (4) components and potential leak points from the design.

FAQ's
1. Will this work with a bypass installed? Short answer is yes. The only downside is longer warmup times but it's not much of a concern unless you live where it regularly gets down to 0 or below in which case you're probably better off keeping the heater functional. I am actually in talks with Caulk to bulk buy his bypass to package with this kit as an installation option.

2. Should I get the 165 or 185 degree option? In most cases I recommend the 165. It will stabilize between 160-180 or about 20 degrees cooler than factory. This is the low end of ZF's recommended temp and I personally like the extra cushion on the high end for if you encounter extreme conditions like a heavy load on a scorching day. Climate and usage is a consideration though: I put together a kit for a gentleman in Alaska and we landed on the 185.

3. Why is it so much? I get this one a lot: You can buy the thermostat for $160 so at first glance the kit is overpriced. However, making it application specific adds up quickly and I have a couple hours of time in assembly, leak testing, packaging, and shipping drop-off. Add in shipping cost and selling fees and I make a lot less than you'd think, but it's a fun side gig for me and I enjoy being able to share knowledge with the community.

4. How hard is the install? Installation instructions are included to make things easier. I usually say the difficulty is about a 4, with 1 being an oil change and 10 being an engine rebuild. The hardest part is getting to and removing the snap ring on the factory thermostat. The rest is a breeze.

5. Do I need anything else for the install? Per the instructions, you need basic tools as well as snap ring pliers and torx sockets. You will also need a quart of ZF or Mopar 8 speed fluid to top the system off.

Will this work on a 2014 Ram 2500 with the 6 speed? My truck going on it's third tranny This time is my first replacement and I had it done right. Just wondering if this will help. We plan on doing a lot of camping this year at distance not much local.

 

[NETim]

Okay! I installed the thermostat kit tonight. The weather warmed a little so my propane heater was able to keep the garage warm enough to work in comfortably.

I took the rig for a little test drive in 37F ambient temps tonight. The highest transmission temp I saw was 149F. Truck was lightly loaded, which is how I drive it about 98% of the time. I'll have to wait until warmer weather to get to the 165F threshold it appears.

Under similar conditions with just the @caulk04 bypass installed, I wouldn't see temps much above 122F. I still have the bypass installed.

The kit took me about 4 hours to install. I was taking my time and was in no hurry at all.

 

[Wild one]

Okay! I installed the thermostat kit tonight. The weather warmed a little so my propane heater was able to keep the garage warm enough to work in comfortably.

I took the rig for a little test drive in 37F ambient temps tonight. The highest transmission temp I saw was 149F. Truck was lightly loaded, which is how I drive it about 98% of the time. I'll have to wait until warmer weather to get to the 165F threshold it appears.

Under similar conditions with just the @caulk04 bypass installed, I wouldn't see temps much above 122F. I still have the bypass installed.

The kit took me about 4 hours to install. I was taking my time and was in no hurry at all.

Thanks for the update Tim.Did you try hammering it and running it up through the gears to say 75/80 mph to see if it got any warmer.

 

[NETim]

Thanks for the update Tim.Did you try hammering it and running it up through the gears to say 75/80 mph to see if it got any warmer.

No, I did not. It was very dark during my test drive and we have lots of suicidal deer here. I will go on yet another little drive tomorrow to wring it out.

 

[Wild one]

No, I did not. It was very dark during my test drive and we have lots of suicidal deer here. I will go on yet another little drive tomorrow to wring it out.

I know what you mean about the Deer. At sundown the buggers hang around the highway,as the pavement if it's had any sun on it,usually generates a bit of heat at sundown,that tends to keep the wildlife in the ditch.Guess animals aren't much differant then us, they like to be warm to,lol. They also like the salt at this time of year,if you're in an area that still uses road salt to combat road ice,but in the fall i think it's the heat the pavement holds,as there's no salt to attract them.