Nah! Ya gotta use Excedrin Migraine for the types of problems I've had lately. Aspirin just doesn't cut it.

 

another thing to consider if you dont drill is to yank the upper hose off the radiator and fill it with coolant/water... I did this once when I forgot to drill and it helped open the stat somehow. I'm guessing the water temp rose and opened it from the radiator side.

also if you use a mopar gasket, you dont need any sealant... it has it in with the gasket material and will seal when it heats up. used them several times all w/o 1 leak.

the only thing i'd add to this is to make sure you dont drop the bolts, they end up on the water pump and it's a bitch to get them out.

 

In case you would like pictures of the job.... The heater hose clamp on the left that hangs the flat spot can be pushed around the hose with a good screwdriver. Once I shoved it around it came right out...

http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech/tstat.php

 

Having changed thermostats several times now
here are some thoughts:

1. Taking out the 13 bolts and lifting the AC & Alt bracket to get at the thermostat better (like the FSM says) sounds "long and hard" but is actually fairly easy and quick. The extra time is easily made off it you have to 'fiddle' with getting the gasket in place down that 'deep hole'

2. DC has messed up the gasket design at least 3 times. I highly recommend the light coat of Blue RTV on both side of the gasket and letting this RTV set up for at least 12 hours. Otherwise leaks are common.

3. I have never had any problems getting air out of the system by just parking the Ram uphill for several days

So you are hoping for a great performance boost from changing your thermostat?

There isn't much.

Having tried no thermostat, 180, 195 and 205 there is really no 'measureable' difference in either power or pinging in my experience.

Kenne Bell Company claims they measured on their rear wheel dyno on a 1998 Magnum 5.9V8 and found no measureable increase in torque at any rpm between a 180 and stock 195 thermostat.

If you want to slightly improve your cooling you would do better to insert a 17 mm socket with 3/8ths drive square opening inside the bypass hose to reduce the amount of coolant that bypasses the radiator.

In summer for pinging reduction you would do better to switch to 100% water with a rust inhibitor and water pump lubricant.

To improve MPG in winter weather you would do better to unbolt your 5 blade viscous clutch fan and run without it. There is about a 0.4 to 0.8 MPG gain

Go ahead and waste a few hours and $ on thermostats if you want to
but the 30-40 hours of changing and testing that I did resulted in zip.

 

Hank, where's your sense of advaneture? lol you wont build any character following the book all the time, drop a bolt or two down into the front of the motor and add some excitement in an otherwise dull day... [sm=icon_rofl.gif]

 

Running 5 Falls by raft or canoe near the end of the Chatooga River
seems to me to be a better 'High Adventure'
but to each his own.

One other thermostat modification I forgot...
Evans Cooling sells a external thermostat housing with a closing bypas

Its part number E3005 at this weblink:

http://evanscooling.com/catalog/C_stats1.htm



Chrysler thought enough of the closing bypass feature
that they designed the 5.7 Hemi that way.

With a closing bypass you could probably slow down the water pump slightly
for slight HP and MPG gains while losing no full throttle high rpm cooling capacity.

 

that was the only hard thing i have ever done, i replaced my oil pan gasket, and that was ALOT easier than Tstat...
i will never forget that thing!![:@]

 

Update: it has been in the high 30's - low 50's here, the "check engine" light came on last night on the way home. Code P 1281 - too cool. I wondered if that would happen with the 180 degree stat. I am going to cover part of the radiator and see if that helps.......

 

Any suggestions on how to get the air bubbles out?? I already have the tstat replaced...and now my temp sensor threw up the CEL...[:@]

 

welcome to df...

one suggestion would be to yank the upper hose at the radiator and pour some coolant onto the t-stat, then re-install it onto the radiator. then fire it up and let it warm up all the way, turn the heater control to full hot, turn the fan on low. position your truck so that the filler is the highest point, jack it up... or whatever you need to do. then squeeze the lower hose while the motor is running, re-fill as necessary to keep the level up. this could take a couple of rounds to get it all out but it should work for you.