alright my 97 dodge runs at about 200 somtimes alittle over that(higher than i want it to run), if i throw a 180 t-stat in there will it be fine?

 

the 180 will run it cooler...

has it always ran at that temp? If not, you're fixing the symptom and not the problem..

 

People say a 180º makes an engine run cooler, but they're just fooling themselves. It only opens sooner than a 195º.

 

VWandDodge - I agree, I always thought that was the temperature that the thermostat opens, and its purpose to allow the engine to war my quicker. And it pops full open, not just part way, and once it opens it stays open until the engine cools down below the set point.

 

it opens sooner and the fans kick on/in sooner too... I can tell you from experience it runs cooler.. now under a heavy load I'm not sure it matters that much I will absolutely agree.. Under normal driving conditions it does what it should- which is start the circulation through the radiator before it reaches 195 (stock stat), which means it likely never reaches but hovers between the two..

you'd have to show me some hard statistics or evidence to change my opinion on that.. I'm not saying I can't be wrong, but I'd just like to see it.

 

from experience, when I found out my 95 dodge ram 2500 (bought used over a year ago) came stock with a 190/195 deg tstat, I quickly wanted to a put a 180 deg tstat in...when I went to replace the tstat, there was no stock tstat in there...also found out the temperature sensor and sender units needed to be replaced...since running the 180 deg tstat, I've noticed the temp gauge never exceeds roughly 180 deg, plus or minus a few deg...if you run anything less than a 180 deg (ie. 160 or 170), you could find trouble in colder weather since the engine can't warm up to optimal operating temperature before the tstat completely opens up...this is only my opinion, i could be wrong, this is just from experience

 

I gotta present the counter argument, with great respect for VWandDodge (as contrasted with "all due respect" which is relative to the speaker's estimation of what's due).

If the heat produced by the engine is not enough to overwhelm the cooling capacity of the system, the thermostat by its action will tend to keep the coolant somewhere between the thermostat's actuation temperature and its maximum deflection temperature. If on the other hand the engine produces more heat than the cooling system can dissipate, the thermostat is essentially superfluous and the engine will tend to overheat, and to do so most of the time.

If the Chrysler engineers who've been at this gig for several generations were pathetically stupid, the thermostat would be a superfluous part and our trucks would all tend to overheat when exposed to, say, a southern Nevada summer where my truck has spent the last several months without overheating -- although the fan clutch has very often engaged due primarily to the heat radiating up from the pavement. My truck doesn't tend to overheat and not too many Dodge Rams are found spewing steam on the Baker grade between here and Los Angeles which is famous for ending the misery of neglected automobiles. So maybe, just maybe, our cooling systems' capacities exceed the designed worst-case waste energy outputs of our engines? (It would make good engineering and marketing sense to ensure that this is true.)

Heck, what do I know? I could be terribly wrong. All I know is that I'm not eager to head out to the Baker grade next summer to count badges obscured by steam.

My two cents worth, with great respect for VeeDub.

 

^^ To add to that, my parents picked up a 1973 Chrysler Imperial at an auction a few years ago. For those who don't know, that old Imperial outweighs one of our trucks and is a lot larger. It is powered with a 440ci engine. He was battling a problem with it running hot after checking the thermostat, water pump and even flushing the block. Nothing. He was tempted to install a lower temp thermostat but new that it wouldn't solve the problem because whatever was causing it to overheat wouldn't be cured. He checked with a knowledgeable radiator repairman who looked up the specs in an old manual -- VOILA! The radiator in the Imperial was too small. Someone, somewhere in the car's past had installed a radiator with cores too small to handle the load. One new properly sized radiator and all stock equipment and he can just idle down the street and the needle won't move.

A lower range thermostat will not cure issues of running hot.

 

Very true. If the cooling capacity of the system is diminished, a lower temperature thermostat just puts the problem off for a few minutes.

A cherry resto '73 Imperial would be a sweet ride and a fun bit of history. I remember that particular model/year often being held up as the prime example of just how badly Chrysler miscalculated the market. Once the Arab Oil Embargo hit you practically couldn't give away an Imperial you'd recently paid $7000 for... but if you could get past the sting of the fuel bills, it was a fine ride out on the interstate at Tricky Dick's matronly 55MPH.

 

The trunk of that thing is so huge, I could drive my Mazda inside, turn around, and drive right out!

I nicknamed it, "The Land Barge". My parents took offense at first, but afterward always said, "Let's take The Barge" whenever they wanted to drive someplace. All my dad had done was a new vinyl top and a respray of the beige paint. It's an absolute beauty with under 70K miles. The back seat is like a living room couch in both width and comfort. The car cruises very, very comfortably at 70mph. He also had 3" exhaust installed which gives the car a good rumble. Goose the throttle, and any wayward children standing behind the car will get blown over