well finally broke down and have decided to replace the thermostat in the 92 300. getting sick of the t stat randomly sticking and therefore giving me no heat that day or how ever long it sticks open (even with the rad blocked off still barely moves the temp needle, let alone defrosts the windshield) and just quick browsing through rock auto shows the standard 195, 165, 180, and 205 degree thermostats. now i am throwing out the 165 degree one becuase that seems like it would prevent the engine from getting hot enough to burn off condensation in the oil, but what about the others? do i stick with the standard 195 degree one or is there a reason for the other temps as well?

in case anyone is wondering the heater core and cooling system is getting flushed at this time as well.

 

This has been discussed multiple times, with many good points for both 180 and 195 thermostats. IMHO, i think if your truck is primarily a DD, with little towing in hot weather, you should stick with a 195. That is what it was designed for. It will probably give you better mileage. Now if you pull the crap out of it or have a modified engine, you may want a 180. This probably won't affect the computer any or hurt your mileage, but might prevent a little detonation if you have the timing bumped up a bit.

 

Agreed with the above. One other thing is it may not seem like much but a 195 will give you better heat too. I don't know what's in mine but when I change it I'm gonna get a 195

 

Get stock which is 195.