Mopar thermostat alignment for weep hole

[freedom_in_4low]

After this conversation, you don't have enough money for me to even look at it.

Then pretend I'm someone else asking the question.

 

[NskLJ]

I'm definitely NOT (edited for omission) trying to out engineer them or have any illusions that I'm going to improve on what they did, I just want to make sure what I have is operating as they intended it. I do apply some skepticism to gauge readings when I know they've been manipulated to reduce dealer warranty calls and it's guaranteed that a compromise was made in a boardroom when they decided how much to compress the reading into that central quarter inch of temperature gauge and at what temperature it should jump to the red.

In 2018 I replaced an aftermarket radiator because I hit 235 on the interstate (via scanner with needle covering right side of the zero). With the Mopar radiator the only time it ever even thought about crossing 210 (via scanner) was when I went from working it hard on the highway to a sudden stop and extended idle in traffic and it got to 215-217. That "experience" reinforced the idea that below 210 (the actual number, not the vague area on a gauge) was etched in stone and exceeding it with any regularity means something is wrong. Now I have an LJ with a mopar radiator that reaches close to 230, almost to the same range that the TJ did with the aftermarket radiator in similar conditions. It's only a needle-width or two past the 210 hash mark, so if I brought my LJ to you and said I think it's running warm, would you look into it or send me on my way and tell me to save my money for something else?

I have pulled a needle off the gauge while running and moved it back a little ( don’t turn the key off while doing it) that solved a “customer problem” when the vehicle had no problem. These issues would come up where two buddies owned the same truck. “ his reads lower than mine” when you get done explaining, educating and arguing you take it back and “fix it”

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I have pulled a needle off the gauge while running and moved it back a little ( don’t turn the key off while doing it) that solved a “customer problem” when the vehicle had no problem. These issues would come up where two buddies owned the same truck. “ his reads lower than mine” when you get done explaining, educating and arguing you take it back and “fix it”

Ok. Well none of this stuff is returnable by now so I'll put it on and report back if it changes anything, and either way, I'll quit thinking about it.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Because in most common conditions that usually means the wrong temperature thermostat was installed.

I just did some testing with a Mopar thermostat. Stuck a thread through it and hung it from a kebab skewer, with a digital meat thermometer next to the thermostat.

The thermostat cracked open and began to slide down the thread at 90C (194.0F) and completely let go and hit the bottom of the saucepan 2 seconds after clicking over to 91C (195.8). I then hung it by the jiggle pin and took it all the way to 210 (boiling at my elevation) and turned the burner off. I was able to see it remain open until the temp fell back below 190, demonstrating about 5 degrees of differential/hysteresis.

A brand new, normally functioning thermostat in perfectly normal conditions will absolutely allow an engine to fall back down between 190-194 and stabilize there once it's reached 195 and opened the thermostat.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I just did some testing with a Mopar thermostat. Stuck a thread through it and hung it from a kebab skewer, with a digital meat thermometer next to the thermostat.

The thermostat cracked open and began to slide down the thread at 90C (194.0F) and completely let go and hit the bottom of the saucepan 2 seconds after clicking over to 91C (195.8). I then hung it by the jiggle pin and took it all the way to 210 (boiling at my elevation) and turned the burner off. I was able to see it remain open until the temp fell back below 190, demonstrating about 5 degrees of differential/hysteresis.

A brand new, normally functioning thermostat in perfectly normal conditions will absolutely allow an engine to fall back down between 190-194 and stabilize there once it's reached 195 and opened the thermostat.

Fiber was down last night so I couldn't upload the video but here it is: