Cooling System
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New User
Joined: Jun 2006
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Cooling System
ok i have a 1990 f350 2wd. will i hurt anything if i put a 160 degree thermastat in it. right now it run real close to 230 degrees. i do have a radiator leaking form the top tank i am replacing tommorrow and while im dirty im gonna replace the thermastat, hoses and other misc things that need to be done. any insight would be helpful
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,509
Likes: 3
From: Ladner, British Columbia
Good idea to replace the thermostat.
When you have the old one out check to see if the rubberized copper ring on the outside body of the thermostat has cracked.
The ring is heat shrunk or press fit onto the thermostat body and if cracked and loose can slide on the housing causing a cooling water restriction if it slides forward while the thermostat is open.
Until we figured this out, the above just about drove my Dad nuts because the truck would overheat intermittently. It would do it some days and not others. All it took was to replace the thermostat. Ford stopped using that particular model of thermostat in 93', my Dads truck was a 92'.
Probalby best to stick with the 195 deg. F thermostat sold by Ford. I was able to get one locally from Lordco which has worked fine for several years now.
When you have the old one out check to see if the rubberized copper ring on the outside body of the thermostat has cracked.
The ring is heat shrunk or press fit onto the thermostat body and if cracked and loose can slide on the housing causing a cooling water restriction if it slides forward while the thermostat is open.
Until we figured this out, the above just about drove my Dad nuts because the truck would overheat intermittently. It would do it some days and not others. All it took was to replace the thermostat. Ford stopped using that particular model of thermostat in 93', my Dads truck was a 92'.
Probalby best to stick with the 195 deg. F thermostat sold by Ford. I was able to get one locally from Lordco which has worked fine for several years now.
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well all is well. i got the thermastat replaced and the radiator. temp runs 190 to 205. i put a 180 after market thermastat from stant tested it before i put it in. replaced the radiator with a four core radiator from fourseasons. also replaced the fuel pump easy to get to when every thing is off.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,782
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From: Huntington Indiana
Nothing against aftermarket but if I remember from what others have said. The aftermarket doesn't have the bypass capability the OEM thermostat has thus giving a very overheated engine if it sticks shut.
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Joe Kucinski
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 392
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From: NC
aftermarket stats have less flow than the oem....I have seen in a slant book that they make make a stat that looks just like the oem, it was only a dollar cheeper than oem so i havent tryed it.basicaly if it looks like a stat from a gasser and was realy cheep then its the wrong one