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Old Dec 9, 2009 | 03:36 PM
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Thermostats

What brand of thermostat do you guys recommend ?

I recently purchased a 91 F-250 4wd , it's a 4.9l zf 5spd. I replaced all the hoses , belt , belt tensioner , flushed the system , replaced the t-stat and housing , but I never get above the first "hash" mark on the temp gauge . The t-stat came from the "zone" , that may be the problem ....... lol !

Been slowly going thru the old girl , new exhaust , new shocks , complete tune up and all fluids and filters , {all Motorcraft} , clean codes from the ecm with the help of this site , she runs great now , just concerned about the engine getting up to proper operating temperature and fuel economy.

Thanks , Volks
 
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Old Dec 9, 2009 | 04:00 PM
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uhm brand really isnt the issue nore where u baught it... it all depends really on what *F u got unless it was a made in japan china tiwan korea or vietnam then i would stay away from them but my truck is an f150 with the 5.0 and i stay on the N on normal the guages arent perfect in these trucks and may be off a little but if ur heater is blowing flames then ur in good shape lol
 
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Old Dec 9, 2009 | 04:15 PM
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The dash gauges often show a low reading, it has it's own sender on the block and sometimes replacing this produces a higher reading.
 
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Old Dec 9, 2009 | 05:00 PM
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I recommend Motorcraft for thermostats for the proper temperature rating and OEM function.

Sorry to sound like a sales pitch, but this is what was recommended to me by a trusted mechanic friend of mine.
 
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Old Dec 9, 2009 | 06:08 PM
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Motorcraft at the OE temp.
 
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Old Dec 9, 2009 | 11:42 PM
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Do you remember what temp you bought? it should be 195°F. I bought my truck and the guy that had it before me had a 160°F in there.

I've heard that down that low they can cause problems.
 
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Old Dec 10, 2009 | 03:15 AM
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195'

I bought a 195 degree t-stat. I have been told Napa t-stats hold temperature better than the discount parts house brands.
Thanks for all the replies ! This site has been a BIG help getting the bugs worked out of the old truck !
 
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Old Dec 10, 2009 | 08:58 AM
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I hear horror stories about AutoZone t-stats but I've never had a problem. However, I always check my new t-stats before installing them. A 195F stat in a pot of water should START to open right before the water begins to boil. It should be fully open once the water hits a rolling boil. You should see it close pretty quickly when you pull it out of the water. *(disclaimer: use tongs, gloves, mits, pliers, old coathanger to handle the hot t-stat - DUH)
 
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Old Dec 10, 2009 | 04:09 PM
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From what I have read on this site , 180' seems to be the magic number between open and closed loop for the ecm. Does the ecm determine that from the temperature sending unit and if so , what reading should I see at the sending unit ?? Guessing it's a resistance based value .
 
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Old Dec 10, 2009 | 05:21 PM
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no 180 is just a happy medium between 165 and 195
 
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Old Dec 10, 2009 | 06:41 PM
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I have the best luck with motorcraft.
 
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Old Dec 10, 2009 | 07:05 PM
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i prefer mr gasket but thats just me and they run about $8
 
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Old Dec 10, 2009 | 07:58 PM
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Originally Posted by volks
From what I have read on this site , 180' seems to be the magic number between open and closed loop for the ecm. Does the ecm determine that from the temperature sending unit and if so , what reading should I see at the sending unit ?? Guessing it's a resistance based value .
Somewhere near 180 is when the computer enables closed loop fuel control, yes. The computer has a coolant temperature sensor that is uses to scale the fuel and spark based on the current engine temperature. The sensor does vary resistance with temperature, but I do not know off the top of my head what the specific values should be. You could try checking at fordfuelinjection.com or look in a Haynes manual.
 
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Old Dec 10, 2009 | 10:49 PM
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Originally Posted by EPNCSU2006
Somewhere near 180 is when the computer enables closed loop fuel control, yes. The computer has a coolant temperature sensor that is uses to scale the fuel and spark based on the current engine temperature. The sensor does vary resistance with temperature, but I do not know off the top of my head what the specific values should be. You could try checking at fordfuelinjection.com or look in a Haynes manual.
So if you have a 160° thermo, you are always in open loop? Aka bad gas milage city?
 
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Old Dec 11, 2009 | 04:44 AM
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Either always in open loop or not in closed loop as much as it would be fully up to temperature. This could cause poor fuel mileage, because the computer runs the engine progressively richer the colder the engine gets.
 
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