Thermostat Temp

[Braeden Clark]

Should I put a 195 thermostat or 180 thermostat in my 2000 Ram 1500 with the 5.9l. It's got 202k miles. Any advantages with one over the other? I am pretty sure my thermostat gasket is leaking so I have to remove it anyway.

 

[crazykid1994]

Personal opinion but I would replace with the stock temp which I think was 195° as that’s your best bet at keeping good balance for power and economy.

 

[HandyCruiser]

The 195° thermostat is the best choice. If your engine runs much cooler than this, combustion begins to become less efficient, so you lose fuel mileage and possibly power as well. Older engines ran cooler thermostats because the engine cooling wasn't as efficient and because carburetted engines are more likely to run lean under certain conditions. Modern engines, including the fuel injected 360 Magnum, will often run better and use less fuel when the engine coolant remains around 195° F. Mileage shouldn't matter as long as the cooling system is intact.

 

[Fast69Mopar]

Should I put a 195 thermostat or 180 thermostat in my 2000 Ram 1500 with the 5.9l. It's got 202k miles. Any advantages with one over the other? I am pretty sure my thermostat gasket is leaking so I have to remove it anyway.

If you are experiencing any spark knock I personally use the 180° thermostat along with a little colder spark plug like the Autolite 3923

 

[turkeybird56]

Either wat Fast69 stated above^^^^ But U got to do plugs also, or stay with 195 deg stadt, all IMHO.....

ADDED: With 202K on the odometer, man I would keep up with the oil changes and use quality high mileage/really good oil and filter.

 

[Spike95]

Use the factory temp. The engineers at Chrysler put it in there for a reason, and they designed the ECM to work around that temp. If you are experiencing pinging (spark knock), then there is likely another issue than coolant temp. Carbon buildup would be the most likely culprit there. Just use quality parts, quality high mileage oil, and fill up on good name brand regular octane gas.