Ford Ranger Hot T-Stat

[hayden55]

Anybody ever put in a hotter thermostat? I'm running at 173 now that I'm finally having time to finish up the ranger. In all conditions for the most part currently. I bet the thermostat is bad.
Looking at :
195 Stant
197 Motorcraft RT1152
205 custom unit from that one diy webpage for 2.3 Limas
I hear stock is 190 or 192. But honestly every ranger we've ever had has ran cool like 180s and below even on new ones.
Truck has super cooling package like every other ranger.
I'll be doing a Taurus e fan too afterwards.
Looking for thermal efficiency gains but don't wanna crack the heads lol

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Most cars can run 200-210 *F with no problems. Just be sure to have something to monitor coolant temps. Any info on thermostats on the ranger forums?

[Piotrsko]

Might want to monitor oil temps also. Rod tops can exceed the breakdown temp of the oil. I know running a 205 degree in the 7.3 liter diesel makes it much more efficient, but I also have 8 gallons coolant swirling about.

[hayden55]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Most cars can run 200-210 *F with no problems. Just be sure to have something to monitor coolant temps. Any info on thermostats on the ranger forums?

I've gotten a lot of "if it's not broken don't fix it" on there from guys who "mod" 100hp Rangers. Not much info on hotter operating temps. Everybody is more or less messing with cooler stats, accessory drive deletes, tunes, mud tires etc...
Understandable. Most people wanna go fast.

https://www.route66hotrodhigh.com/2300Heat.html

^This but no testing along with it.

I'm gonna go ahead and do the Ford 197 and see how it goes. I have a sneaking suspicion I'm losing % by running so cool.
Ford says "It's a 190 stat that opens at 197" from how I've seen it labeled.

Currently had a p0401 that I've gotten to go off (the guy i hired to fix it broke it more... Time to pay for pro welder exh mani bolt removal to replace the whole tube) but probably still inadequate flow to the sensor as it went back to the cam lope idle (one of the EGR nipples to the dpfe sensor broke off so I have both ports T-d to the single egr port) I'm getting 26 mpg at 60 mph so far. All my numbers are with scanguage, gps, and gear calcs.

[Piotrsko]

Like you said everybody wants to go fast. Cold is for fast. Efficient should ought to be hot or at least the data on this forum indicates that.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

From what I've read around various places, running a thermostat below 190 or especially below 180 is inefficient, and anything above 200 is risky unless you monitor coolant temps. As long as the thermostat has fully opened before the radiator fan comes on you should be good.

[101Volts]

As previously suggested in this thread, you should look into how hot your engine can get before issues pop up. I've read that my GM 6.5 Turbo Diesel can't get past 205 F (or is it 210?) or else it should start to have problems.

You might also want to check this thread out:

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...mpg-37356.html

The thread's not specifically about thermostats, but it's about Smokey Yunick's Hot Engine. However, there are some mentions about a hotter thermostat (203 or 205) raising the F.E. just a little bit.

Also, keep in mind that a hotter thermostat can cause your oil to break down sooner. If you're maintaining your car with regular oil changes with Full Synthetic Oil, though, this shouldn't be as big of a problem. And while I'm on the subject, if you're not already doing so, you might want to consider some of the best oil filters on the market: FRAM Ultra Synthetic, or Amsoil EaO. Out of all common (or fairly common) filters on the market (not counting "bypass" filters,) these two will capture the most dirt in the oil and keep your engine in better shape. The FRAM is even cheaper than glorified brands, such as Mobil-1.

And if anyone's concerned about me recommending a FRAM filter? I recommended their most expensive filter, not the cheap one with a rubber band or whatever it is.

[Ecky]

Worth a mention - is yours a mechanical or electric fan? If it's running warm enough that the fan is blowing all the time, you may negate any savings. The fan switch might also need to be changed.

[hayden55]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Worth a mention - is yours a mechanical or electric fan? If it's running warm enough that the fan is blowing all the time, you may negate any savings. The fan switch might also need to be changed.

Mechanical until I swap to E-fan and controller. Currently I am running 25+ degrees too cold. We will see what the issue is this weekend. I am in the middle of moving and my truck is 5 hours away until I go home on the weekends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN8C...YourKeysPlease

I found this video interesting. He is running hot lol

[hayden55]

Went with the Ford stat. Temps stay around 190-197F. Between this and fixing the EGR Tube I am sitting at 26 mpg highway at 70 mph. Still have a p0401 code which I can't seem to get rid of but I guess this doesn't effect fuel economy either being on or by clearing the code every once in a while.