Jwithing
Senior Member
I would tend to agree.
After doing a little bit more research... I didn't realize there was special coolant. I put the green stuff in... Did you use OAT coolant?
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I would tend to agree.
When I got my 2011 used last fall it had the orange OAT in it. After installing 180 tstat and replacing my water pump a few weeks ago I've kept up with the OAT.After doing a little bit more research... I didn't realize there was special coolant. I put the green stuff in... Did you use OAT coolant?
Just some thoughts on this subject. I do believe the radiators on our 1500 Rams are a bit undersized to keep coolant temperatures high. Thats good for emissions. Not good for power. A properly sized radiator will efficiently shed engine produced heat, even in extreme conditions, so that coolant temperatures will remain at, or within one or two degrees of installed thermostat calibration.
In the days before our present super tight emissions, if one installed a 180 degree thermostat for example, coolant temperatures typically were very close to 180 degrees, as OEMs weren't as concerned with emissions as cooling efficiency. In my 2011 3500 Ram Cummins, coolant temps with the 190 degree thermostat I installed (down from the OEM 203), stayed @ 190 degrees regardless how hard I worked the truck, whether AC was on or off, or ambient temperatures. That truck had a huge radiator, as the truck was meant to work.
I installed a 170 degree thermostat in my 2012 Boss 302 Mustang, and even during very hard running on hot days, coolant temperatures sit at 170 degrees. They climb when I stop moving, but drop right back down when under way again. That car has a very large, all aluminum radiator.
I've got a 180 degree thermostat in my 2017 Ram, and coolant temps fluctuate from 185 up to 190, typically remaining between 186 and 188. My shutters are all removed, save the uppermost and lowest one.
I've not found any supplier that offers a performance radiator for our trucks. Personally think the only way to really keep coolant temps equal to installed thermostat calibrations would be to have a custom, all aluminum performance radiator fabricated, or source a radiator from a 2008 - 2012 Ram with Cummins, with all of it's attendant attaching pieces and try to install it in a 1500, but even with that, a lot of component relocation and fabrication would be necessary.
I was just thinking the same thing this past weekend, looking at the radiator size and considering a bigger replacement. Couldn't find anything online but it's something I'd like to do.
OP I have the 180 jet with my efan set to run all the time and my coolant stays 185-188. Your Temps seem very high to me. I'm thinking it might be defective.
Any benefit to a 180 thermostat without a tuner or anything? Any of you guys removing shutters or deleting them completely on the 8sp trucks?
Mine is basically stock. Coolant stays about 200. Trans around 190 and oil up to 210.
Didn't you say you were swinging 37"s ,what pressure are you running them at.Also what gears are in your diffs? Your tires are going to take more horsepower to turn,especially if you run them on the soft side,horsepower used=heat created,and if by chance you have 3.21's,your rpm is going to be low,which means less coolant being circulated ,while you've increased the horsepower required to turn the tires. for ***** and giggles try airing your tires up to the max inflation listed on the tires sidewall,and see if anything changes with your temps,then air them back down and check temps again.
Do you have a aftermarket grill??
A larger radiator isn't going to help you- try going back to a factory tune?
I had a "Built " mustang about 15 years ago or so and I had a nice big 3 core aluminum radiator and a big ass electric fan with a stock water pump and a 180 t stat. Water pump died and I let a guy talk me into " well it's bad so put a hi flow water pump on it" problem was it pulled the water out of the radiator to fast at hwy speeds- " 4:10 gears with a t56 5 speed didn't help the Rpms - but at idle or slow speeds " low rpm" it would cool right off. Learned a valuable lesson- the coolant needs time to transfer the heat in the radiator- if it's not doing it at Hwy speeds and if u have a factory grill, something is restricting the air flow? Maybe at idle ur not getting enough air flow from the electric fan? Just something to think about.
Pretty sure it's a stock grille... Looks like the black honeycomb underneath w/ horizontal chrome slats. It'll cool off a bit at idle at a light, but has to sit for awhile (usually uphill) to cool down into the 180's. It's also black, lifted w/ 37's, so I expect higher temps, but this is ridiculous. I'm 99 percent sure there's no air in the system and know about burp valve positioning due to previous installs on other vehicles. I'm just baffled and a little concerned with driving home today since it's supposed to be 101 degrees and I'm hitting 223 @ 94.