Opinion's On 180 Thermostat

[Wild one]

A ton of bad information in this post.

I have a 160 thermostat in my 2014. Zero issues with heat. Helps a ton with keeping things nice and cool for higher performance tuning.

the 8 speed trucks have an internal thermostat that you CANT change therefore your truck will run at 185 degrees minimal no matter what degree thermostat you run.

get a 180, have a custom tune done and have your fan temps adjusted for the 180 thermostat.

I've ran 180/170 and a high flow Milodon 160 in mine,the 180 and 170 were perfectly fine for heater output here in Alberta,the 160 maybe not so much,lol. If you get under 0C/32F the heater is definitely lacking in heat output,the truck is just barely comfortable at those temps.One thing I did notice with the high flow 160 is a big drop in tranny and oil temps,my 8 speed runs right around 170F at 80 mph on a 75F day now,which I like,and is the biggest reason I love the high flow 160 over the the 170 and 180 t-stats I used to run in the truck,but by no stretch would I run it in the winter where it does get cold.If you live where it gets down under 32F in the winter i'd throw a 180 t-stat back in for the colder months.It's not hard to swap thermostats on the trucks,which is something you can do easily,to compensate for the difference between summer and winter air temps.You guys seem to be stuck on leaving 1 thermostat in year round,me not so much,it's not a big deal to swap thermostats for the summer and winter.I'm old enough to remember always having 2 thermostats,one for summer and one for winter,lol

 

[Graygoose]

With the OEM setup it would take 15 minutes of driving for the stat to actually open in winter, again if you haven’t tried it don’t comment in these threads google mechanics.

ah come on Tim, a little harsh eh LOL

 

[co-pilot]

I would run a 180* t stat but i'm too lazy to change it!!....

 

[ScLeCo]

I would run a 180* t stat but i'm too lazy to change it!!....

That's pretty lazy, it's super easy.

 

[Graygoose]

I would run a 180* t stat but i'm too lazy to change it!!....

But the question, is it REALLY worth it...I say no, IMHO.

 

[co-pilot]

But the question, is it REALLY worth it...I say no, IMHO.

I agree...

 

[co-pilot]

That's pretty lazy, it's super easy.

Yeah I know......but then I would need to do the active shutter mod too or they would prob. stay closed to bring temp up.....

 

[Wild one]

But the question, is it REALLY worth it...I say no, IMHO.

Depends a lot on your use of the truck and whether you've done any mods to it.If your truck is stock,no you probably won't notice much in the way of a performance gain by changing to a colder T-stat,but if you're truck is tuned with the common bolt-ons like headers/CAI,then a colder T-stat will allow your tuner a few more leeways as far as timing/fueling go.

 

[Graygoose]

Depends a lot on your use of the truck and whether you've done any mods to it.If your truck is stock,no you probably won't notice much in the way of a performance gain by changing to a colder T-stat,but if you're truck is tuned with the common bolt-ons like headers/CAI,then a colder T-stat will allow your tuner a few more leeways as far as timing/fueling go.

True, if you plan to do way more mods I could see it, semi stock, you really wont see much gains. I totally agree.

 

[turkeybird56]

Well said[emoji106]

HAS Brandon come out with the option on the new 2019 DT's with the new trans (the one replaced the 44-44 //not remember number//) ???

HAD TO LOOK UP: 2019
The 48-12 part-time transfer case provides three operating ranges 2Hi (2WD), 4Hi (4WD) and 4Lo (low-range reduction 4WD) plus a neutral position. 2Hi is designed for any road surface at any time, while 4Hi and 4Lo are for off-road use or slick surfaces. The driver can switch between 2Hi and 4Hi while the truck is in motion. The low-range reduction ratio (crawl ratio) for 4Lo is 2.64:1.

The on-demand transfer case has 4Auto, 2Hi, 4Hi and 4Lo selections. 4Auto provides full-time 4WD, responding automatically to provide maximum traction in all road conditions. 2Hi, 4Hi and 4Lo function equally to the part-time transfer case.

 

[Hemi395]

HAS Brandon come out with the option on the new 2019 DT's with the new trans (the one replaced the 44-44 //not remember number//) ???

HAD TO LOOK UP: 2019
The 48-12 part-time transfer case provides three operating ranges 2Hi (2WD), 4Hi (4WD) and 4Lo (low-range reduction 4WD) plus a neutral position. 2Hi is designed for any road surface at any time, while 4Hi and 4Lo are for off-road use or slick surfaces. The driver can switch between 2Hi and 4Hi while the truck is in motion. The low-range reduction ratio (crawl ratio) for 4Lo is 2.64:1.

The on-demand transfer case has 4Auto, 2Hi, 4Hi and 4Lo selections. 4Auto provides full-time 4WD, responding automatically to provide maximum traction in all road conditions. 2Hi, 4Hi and 4Lo function equally to the part-time transfer case.

He looked into it and I guess the new t cases don’t have the same issues as the 44-44s. I’d PM him for the details but it sounded like FCA finally realized they made a huge mistake with the 44-44 programming...

 

[turkeybird56]

I sure hope so. BUT, hee hee, I am in Central TX, get 1-3" of snow a year, so maybe not an issue. But do get rain, hee hee.

Thanks for the reply and have a Great Day

 

[DA Smith]

Management at FCA pinched pennies to meet emissions with mechanical valve-train assemblies/programming and now hundreds of consumers are suffering $4-$8 thousand dollar service bills out of warranty.

Yet we are still purchasing new Ram trucks with massive advertising investments at ridiculous costs to purchase because they have a “luxury” car interior and a Fiat front end design with the same powertrain. Couldn’t imagine paying $1000+ insurance a month for inferior engineering. I feel for every single owner that has endured the tragedy of a failed cam/lifter without a single f*ck given by Ram.

edit-imagine paying a premium for the Harmon sound system and its 75 speakers, absolute trash like their tech 12” screen and SQ department.

Don't know why you post a picture of such a worthless piece of junk. If hated my truck like you hate yours I'd sell the piece of crap or even give it away so I wouldn't have to look at it.

 

[gapi]

I had a Motorad brand fail in a year. I now run a Stant. It's made in the USA FWIW.

If you have e-fans monitor for them running @high speed a lot and calibrate as needed.

 

[dustywithdodge]

What's your guys opinion of myself running a 180 thermostat, I got a 2017 5.7, 8 speed.
The catch is, I live in South Dakota and winters temp can be in single digits and teens for weeks.
How well do you think the heater will work?
Some of you oil gurus, do think the oil will get warm enough to burn off moisture?
Thanks for your time.

 

[boblonben]

Your heat and defroster will not get as hot is about the only downside to putting in a 180 thermostat. I have 1 in now and removed my mechanical fan and I’ve had no problems with the heat, but the heat won’t work as well in the cold.

Not true, the engine will still go it's operating temp regardless of a 180 or 195 thermostat. Once the thermostat is open, it is OPEN and the overall heating/cooling system takes over.

 

[boblonben]

I have a 180* tstat and live in New England. I have noticed no difference in the way the heat works. 180* is still hot enough to generate plenty of heat.

AH, someone who actually understands the subject !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Narg]

Engines today are far different than they were 20 years ago. There is no good reason to change the thermostat temp in any engine. There's plenty of reasons to keep it where it was designed to go. Changing it will make your MPG worse, shorten the life of the engine (yes, that info was from a metallurgical expert.) and keep it from making full power. Do not even think there is a good reason, there is not.

 

[crackerjack1957]

Stock yes on the 203 stat.......mod & tuned for advanced timing 160-180......ask any tuner.

 

[Graygoose]

Stock yes on the 203 stat.......mod & tuned for advanced timing 160-180......ask any tuner.

True, I just am thinking he means on non-tunes/modded trucks. Lowering the Tstat is a fad and people think they gain horsepower just by lowering the temp on stock trucks/cars.
Like older vehicles, people got 4 core aluminum radiators with electric fans to keep them cooler on the street. I ran my old C10 around 190-195*, which was great with an 11:1 daily 406 that had to run on 93 octane.