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Thermostat 180 or 195 degree

PostPosted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 7:22 pm
by Dodge60085
Hello everyone,

My question is I have a 2.6 Mitsubishi engine, I have heard that we should protect it from overheating :lol:

The question is what is the appropriate Thermostat for this engine. in some cases I have seen 160 degree, 180, degree, 195 degree. Which one is recommended for the vehicle 195 or 180. and if I go lower
will it affect the warm up process and affect drive ability. This is the carbureted motor.

Has anyone added a temperature gauge so you would know when it is about to overheat and or know where the temperature is consistently running. What brand was the gauge and how do you go about installing it. The car only came with a really cool red engine light.

Currently in the process of obtaining new radiator hoses upper and lower Thermostat most likely gasket and a good water pump. Most likely looking at replacing the heater core heater hoses.

Thank you for your time

Mike

Re: Thermostat 180 or 195 degree

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2014 9:58 am
by aussiewoody
Wish i could answer those questions Mike - I'd like to know those answers myself.
I'm sure that Pete or another tech will jump right in and set us straight.
let us know how this finishes up for you won't you?
Best of luck with it.
Regards
Gary

Re: Thermostat 180 or 195 degree

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2014 1:20 pm
by Pete in NH
Hi Mike,

I would stay with the stock 195 degree thermostat. If the cooling system is in good condition the 180 thermostat isn't going to buy you anything. Air pollution concerns aside, an engine running too cool is less efficient in fuel use and as you mentioned that carburetor does want its base warmed up as soon as possible for drivability issues.

On the temperature gauge, that's a great idea. there are two types of temperature gauge mechanical and electrical. Although, I can't remember the last time I saw a mechanical gauge. You want an electrical one since they are easiest to install, you only have to run a single wire to the gauge from the sensor on the engine. As to brand I'll leave that to you to find one you like the looks of and will fit in the car. K cars have very limited space under the dash boards and you'll want to find a gauge you can mount where it will not hit your legs when seated. You might want to look for a 1 1/2 inch gauge rather than the more common 2 1/16 inch units. The gauge will come with installation instructions but, if you have specific 2.6 l questions post back here.

Re: Thermostat 180 or 195 degree

PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2014 5:19 pm
by Dodge60085
Gary, Pete

Thank you for the replies I really appreciated it.

Changing the Thermostat became a project. I did replace it with a Stant 195 degree thermostat. However, in the process of taking bolt number 2 out it snapped in the manifold. Nice part was I was able to get 2/3 of the bolt out and ended up tapping the other 1/4 ".

Found that the old Thermostat was stuck in the open position so the vehicle was not warming up to where it should of been. This might of been the reason why I was receiving some hesitation.

I also replaced the water pump and the belt driving the water pump. I purchased a water pump from Rock Auto that was made by A-1Cardone I was a little skeptical about the stamp on the box that said made in China. Purchased a second one from Napa made by Gates.

Upper and lower radiator hoses where replaced. The 5/16 hoses leading from intake manifold to the carb where also replaced one was plugged solid by calcium deposits. Heater hoses where all replaced.

Last night, I added antifreeze and water ran the car for about 1/2 hour to circulate fluid and purge the system. Checked for leaks none where found will need to add more fluid tonight.

However in the process the air cleaner pipe at the bottom is rotted see air cleaner posting.

Thank you for your assistance.


Mike

Re: Thermostat 180 or 195 degree

PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2014 2:22 pm
by Pete in NH
Hi Mike,

Sounds like you did a good, complete job on your cooling system. You were right on getting a second water pump. Some folks refer to Cardone as Car-Done, their parts are not the best quality. I've used a lot of Gates parts and not had any problems.

Re: Thermostat 180 or 195 degree

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 4:47 am
by 86dodge600esconvert
I would go with the 195. Water boils at 212. 50/50 glycol water boils at around 230. The 15 lbs pressure cap adds another 15 or more degrees to the boiling point. Having put a 195 into water with a candy thermometer they usually start to open around 195 and are wide open by 200=205. One last point on the warmer thermostat, the hotter coolant going into the rad will cool more and faster. Most newer cars including k-cars are designed around the warmer temp so they can have smaller rads with less coolant thus saving weight.

The gauges are not that hard to install, mine came with adapters to a few different threads. I have had both a mechanical and electric temp gauge and both worked well. I have mounted gauges under the dash on top of the dash. A single gauge can be mounted on the steering column. A good place for a tack. My convert has a vacuum boost gauge mounted on the steering column. (turbo) Gauges can come in a 3 pack usually volts temp and oil pressure. The 3 packs usually have smaller gauges. As I get older I am appreciating larger gauges that are easy to see. Most gauges have a light to hook up the the dash lights and will dim with the dash lights if hooked up correctly.