Just picked up my valuecraft 180 T-stat from auto zone. Cant wait to install it!!

Just picked up my valuecraft 180 T-stat from auto zone. Cant wait to install it!!

You may like it well enough to try a 170!!:)
Bill

You may like it well enough to try a 170!!:)
Bill
Hopefully!! Gonna wait til I get the phenolic spacers, put them in all together.

what exactly does the thermostat do and whats the difference between 180 and 170?

Can't go wrong with the 180*

Can't go wrong with the 180*
180* is the best bet overall, no codes.
170* if you have a fan mod and going to the strip, it does seem to throw a code every couple of weeks though. That said, I love the 170* and will re-set the CEL when it appears.
Bill

I plan on going out to get mine as well. General confusion showed me some of his mods at are Woodland Hills meet. Will changing the thermostat out void our warranty in any way, shape, or form?

180* is the best bet overall, no codes.
170* if you have a fan mod and going to the strip, it does seem to throw a code every couple of weeks though. That said, I love the 170* and will re-set the CEL when it appears.
Bill


You had a MIL with the 383-170 (176*)? I believe we put them in on the same day. I haven't had one yet, interesting.

Is there a pain free way to reset a CEL?

Is there a pain free way to reset a CEL?

Disconnect the battery, one terminal is fine, and depress the brake pedal for ~10 seconds.

Disconnect the battery, one terminal is fine, and depress the brake pedal for ~10 seconds.
Did not know that trick! I use the ScanTool software on my laptop to document and do a reset.

GotStroke, what part of the country do you live in. Charlotte has seen temps in the 30's short term. I did not get the CEL until my '07 PCM was re-flashed. Coincidence? I doubt it. I still maintain that part of the re-flash had to do with turning the fan on much earlier under certain circumstances. My Hemi hits 200* and the fan kicks it down to 176+/-. I read the temp from the ScanTool not the gauge since we bottom out at 185*.
Bill

OK, I have to ask, What is the 180 or even 170 degree thermostat doing for you? Does it make the fan come on earlier, so it keeps the motor down below 200 or? Sorry for the stupidity, but I need to know!

the theromostat basicly closes the water loop, and keeps water in the engine block/heads until it reaches it's rated temp, then it opens to let the cooler water in, the cooler water reacts with the thermostat, closing it back as its temp lowers. it does this back and forth, keeping the engine at the the rated temp as long as the cooling system can keep up with cooling the excess.

whats the answer about the warrenty? does it affect it?

Disconnect the battery, one terminal is fine, and depress the brake pedal for ~10 seconds.


does this way also clear out your radio/navigation/u-connect presets on an 07?

i put in a Stant 14127 (170 deg) thermostat this evening and on my first 20 minute drive all was good. 8 minutes into my second 20 minute drive my CEL came on.

i guess im switching to a 180 thermostat because i can't deal with the CEL light coming on all the time.

does this way also clear out your radio/navigation/u-connect presets on an 07?

i put in a Stant 14127 (170 deg) thermostat this evening and on my first 20 minute drive all was good. 8 minutes into my second 20 minute drive my CEL came on.

i guess im switching to a 180 thermostat because i can't deal with the CEL light coming on all the time.
No, It should not. If the radio is off, removing both cables does'nt erase the presets either, have done it plenty of times. Good move going to the 180*.

Did not know that trick! I use the ScanTool software on my laptop to document and do a reset.

It's pretty quick/easy way. FWIW, hitting the brakes triggers the brake lights and drains whatever's left.

GotStroke, what part of the country do you live in. Charlotte has seen temps in the 30's short term. I did not get the CEL until my '07 PCM was re-flashed. Coincidence? I doubt it. I still maintain that part of the re-flash had to do with turning the fan on much earlier under certain circumstances. My Hemi hits 200* and the fan kicks it down to 176+/-. I read the temp from the ScanTool not the gauge since we bottom out at 185*.
Bill

I'm in Central OH. Due to a rapidly dropping/rising Jet Stream temps around here have fluctuated between 0F and 50F since I've had the 383-170 in. BTW, I put Water Wetter in last Sat. before dropping the Jeep off at Stainless Works, and didn't notice much of a difference on the hour or so trek over. Regardless, it can't hurt so no big deal. Oil temps never got over 212F cruising at 80-85, and the guage never went over a hair under 1/3 of the sweep--though it's usually pegged to the left when moving.
I have the '06 reflash and so far with around 300-350 miles of city/highway driving I haven't had a single issue. I'll have to start paying more attention to when the fan kicks on.
Anyway, I guess I should count my blessings:confused:

Andy

No, It should not. If the radio is off, removing both cables does'nt erase the presets either, have done it plenty of times. Good move going to the 180*.


thanks, i just went out and did it & all my presets stayed. the only thing thats different is now my outside temp reads 77 degrees (which it isn't, it's 43 degrees). maybe it just needs to catch up with itself.

Is the MotoRad 383-180 a 63.5mm or 63.0mm housing?

one more quick question.

if i leave the 170 in for now, waiting for the warm/hot weather to come and the CEL comes on again, is there a problem driving it with the light on? will the light being on affect the way the engine or computers run?

Is the MotoRad 383-180 a 63.5mm or 63.0mm housing?
Its 63.5mm, but works. It does'nt seat in the housing completely flush, just don't force it. Thank goodness for the o-ring design. The LX folks like it and I do too. I replaced a balanced sleeve 195* and never looked back.

Its 63.5mm, but works. It does'nt seat in the housing completely flush, just don't force it. Thank goodness for the o-ring design. The LX folks like it and I do too. I replaced a balanced sleeve 195* and never looked back.

I used a bench grinder and rasp to remove some material on my 383-170. Fits perfectly now. I had a Stant 180 in a week prior.

So what brand/manufacturer should I go with for the 180 stat? Any difference between them? Any I should stay away from?

So what brand/manufacturer should I go with for the 180 stat? Any difference between them? Any I should stay away from?

MotoRad/Valucraft/Robert Shaw 383-180 from AutoZone.

Free Advice: ***** slap the guy behind the counter immediately after he asks you "why you want that thermostat?" It will eliminate the potential for additional eye rolls, attitude, and dumb comments.

Good luck!

MotoRad/Valucraft/Robert Shaw 383-180 from AutoZone.

Free Advice: ***** slap the guy behind the counter immediately after he asks you "why you want that thermostat?" It will alleviate the potential for additional eye rolls, attitude, and dumb comments.

Good luck!
Best to ask for a Valucraft #4128, if you ask for a Robert Shaw, they will most likely say Robert Who?---What?, then you would have no choice, but to JAP slap the guy!!

Best to ask for a Valucraft #4128, if you ask for a Robert Shaw, they will most likely say Robert Who?---What?, then you would have no choice, but to JAP slap the guy!!


They can also pull up 383-180 on their cross reference page.

Ahh, back in the day I used to work at AutoZone - makin' a whopin' $7.50/hr. part time. Sadly, even then I knew more about cars than most of the staff thier.

AZ carries Robert Shaw I believe, thanks for the P/N guys.

They can also pull up 383-180 on their cross reference page.
Thats if they're competent and been there more than a week.

Thats if they're competent and been there more than a week.


LOL, true.

Ahh, back in the day I used to work at AutoZone - makin' a whopin' $7.50/hr. part time. Sadly, even then I knew more about cars than most of the staff thier.

AZ carries Robert Shaw I believe, thanks for the P/N guys.

It's now called "Valucraft".

Free Advice: ***** slap the guy behind the counter immediately after he asks you "why you want that thermostat?"

Where were you two weeks ago with that advice, Andy? :cool:

The parts guy couldn't even find the 383-170, then I found it and he asked me why I needed a thermostat for a new vehicle, finally, he informed me Autozone was not liable for any damage because that thermostat was not vehicle specific.

I smiled and left...

Where were you two weeks ago with that advice, Andy? :cool:

The parts guy couldn't even find the 383-170, then I found it and he asked me why I needed a thermostat for a new vehicle, finally, he informed me Autozone was not liable for any damage because that thermostat was not vehicle specific.

I smiled and left...


One day, I hope to be as educated, regarding all things internal combustion as those guys. At this point, I realize it's just a dream... ;)

I see that the 170° thermostat is throwing a CEL. Is this because the thermostat stays open for so long cooling the car that it never leaves the cold-start loop? I would think that with anything lower than a 180° thermostat that the water wouldn't stay in the radiator long enough to dissipate the heat due to the thermostat staying open longer causing the motor to actually run hotter. Just because the thermostat is rated lower doesn't mean it will definitely keep the temps lower. Water needs downtime in the radiator to cool off.

Also, anyone have the part number for the thermostat housing gasket?

I see that the 170° thermostat is throwing a CEL. Is this because the thermostat stays open for so long cooling the car that it never leaves the cold-start loop? I would think that with anything lower than a 180° thermostat that the water wouldn't stay in the radiator long enough to dissipate the heat due to the thermostat staying open longer causing the motor to actually run hotter. Just because the thermostat is rated lower doesn't mean it will definitely keep the temps lower. Water needs downtime in the radiator to cool off.

Also, anyone have the part number for the thermostat housing gasket?

I have the 170. Have not thrown a CEL yet. Opens up, runs a little above 185, but still goes to 200-215 range for short amounts of time depending on in town traffic and driving conditions. Once moving again through some fresh air, or when fan kicks on temp drops. Sorry don't know part number on gasket. Have reused my oem one 3 times now, and still retains fit with no leaks.

I see that the 170° thermostat is throwing a CEL. Is this because the thermostat stays open for so long cooling the car that it never leaves the cold-start loop? I would think that with anything lower than a 180° thermostat that the water wouldn't stay in the radiator long enough to dissipate the heat due to the thermostat staying open longer causing the motor to actually run hotter. Just because the thermostat is rated lower doesn't mean it will definitely keep the temps lower. Water needs downtime in the radiator to cool off.

Also, anyone have the part number for the thermostat housing gasket?


I really don't think there's much difference between the 180 and the 170 (actually 176) personally. I've run both and had no issues with either. As for the gasket, you can't order it separately, it comes with an OEM T-stat. Together they are ~$18.00 from a Dodge/Jeep dealer, you can't find them at Autozone or Advance.

Are thermostats really worth anything without changing the ECU setting so that the computer adjusts for it?
JT

Are thermostats really worth anything without changing the ECU setting so that the computer adjusts for it?
JT

Literally two tenths of a second vs. stock. Someone on this site also claims to have dyno'd their 180 T-stat to a 15awhp gain.
The computer is/must be adjusting for the T-stat, which is why we're seeing less timing pulled and consequently more power.

How hard are they to install? Any tricks I should know or trouble that people ran into? Thanks

How hard are they to install? Any tricks I should know or trouble that people ran into? Thanks
Someone on another site came up with this procedure and it works great in about 5 minutes:
Do NOT remove the radiator cap!
Put a plastic baggie under the lower portion of the thermostat housing to catch the antifreeze as the lower bolt is removed. Pour out and save this antifreeze.
Put the baggie back under the thermostat housing. Now remove the upper bolt and the thermostat. Once again remove the baggie and store the antifreeze.
Remove the existing thermostat and use the old rubber gasket on the replacement thermostat. Note if you use a 383-170 its outer diameter is slightly larger and it is advisable to reduce the outer diameter with a grinder or file.
Install the thermostat into the housing and make sure it is well seated. Install bolts.
Remove radiator cap and fill with the saved antifreeze. Run the engine , turn on the heater and typically you will pour the remainder of the antifreeze into the plastic overflow container located on the inner wheel well.Hope I did not leave out any thing. Oh....decant the Vino during the 1st step because you have turned a 1/2 pain in the a** job into a simple 5 minute job.

Bill

couple more things.

remove the air intake tube from the air cleaner to throttle body (more room to work)

to unplug the air sensor on the air tube, slide the red clip away from you then depress the black tab that the red clip covered and unplug the harness. it should be easy to unplug and not have to be forced.

the freezer bag will catch most of the coolant but put a drain pan under the front of the car because it wont catch it all.

when the coolant was done draining into the freezer bag, i snagged the bag on something sharp as i was pulling it out & it sprung a leak. so, either be carefull or have some extra bags within reach in case you do the same thing.

working a flat file around the edge of my stant 14127 thermostat for a couple minutes allowed it to fit. not alot of material needed to be removed.

I snagged the bag once myself. The garage still has the distinct lingering odor of coolant. :mad:

I snagged the bag once myself. The garage still has the distinct lingering odor of coolant. :mad:
LOL! Try the heavy duty freezer bag Ha...
Bill

I installed the 170 but have not installed a fan mod. I saw no difference at the track between the 180 and 170. I have the fan mod from GSM. I will install it this week.

LOL! Try the heavy duty freezer bag Ha...
Bill


LOL, it was. :D It only happened one time out of four, but it was a pita.

I installed the 170 but have not installed a fan mod. I saw no difference at the track between the 180 and 170. I have the fan mod from GSM. I will install it this week.
Without the fan mod you will NOT see any difference. The fan mod works in conjunction with the thermostat. You WILL see a difference. Hemi's hate heat! Keep us informed!
Bill

Is it true that the fan mod is burning out fan motors?

Is it true that the fan mod is burning out fan motors?
I ran the fan constantly last week on high for literally hours on end while we were making all the passes. Blackstallion also ran his constantly. I would strongly recommend soldering (I know it is a pain) the main feed to the fan wire rather than the crappy "tie into" connector supplied by GSM or others. I used a circuit breaker rather that a fuse in case there were any problems.
Bill

Without the fan mod you will NOT see any difference. The fan mod works in conjunction with the thermostat. You WILL see a difference. Hemi's hate heat! Keep us informed!
Bill

Not see a difference going from 180 to 170 or not see a difference going from stock to any lower temp?

I'm just running the T-stat so far, w/out fan mod, and it does make a difference. The only time the T-stat goes over 1/3 of its travel is during extended idling like in stop and go traffic. The rest of the time, with sufficient airflow, it feels much stronger.

He means going from a 180* to a 170*or vice versa.The fan mod compliments the lower stat and keeps temps close to the opening temp of the stat.

Not see a difference going from 180 to 170 or not see a difference going from stock to any lower temp?
Sorry, I should have been more specific.
The fan mod works at the STRIP in conjunction with the thermostat. For example the 180* will stay at 180* with the fan on. My 383-170 will stay at 172* all day at the strip with the fan on.
I do not use the fan mod on the street and the temps are whatever my PCM wants them to be...seems to vary all over from throwing a code in the winter with the 170* to now in 70* weather the coolant temp hits 215* and then cools back to 180* or so. I surely do not understand the PCM logic in turning the fans on and off.

Hope this clears my post up some.
Bill

Wow, I appreciate the step-by-step on the install. Thanks for the info.

Sorry, I should have been more specific.
The fan mod works at the STRIP in conjunction with the thermostat. For example the 180* will stay at 180* with the fan on. My 383-170 will stay at 172* all day at the strip with the fan on.
I do not use the fan mod on the street and the temps are whatever my PCM wants them to be...seems to vary all over from throwing a code in the winter with the 170* to now in 70* weather the coolant temp hits 215* and then cools back to 180* or so. I surely do not understand the PCM logic in turning the fans on and off.

Hope this clears my post up some.
Bill
Thanks for the clarification, Builder. :)

whats the 07 stock thermostat set at? 195?

Probably 205. I have a question for you all... where are you getting the thermostats from?!?!?!? I have tried AutoZone, Advanced Auto, Murray's (Local Chain) and none even hae a cross-referencing thermostat? Pep Boys maybe? Havn't tried them yet...

203* for stock IIRC.

If you want the Robert Shaw/MotoRad/Valucraft 383-170 (176* poppet style) or 383-180 (180* poppet style) go to AutoZone and have them pull 383-170 or 383-180 up on their cross reference page. Don't have them look by vehicle type/year, because they won't find anything.

I had them cross-reference and the only thing that pulled up was the MotoRad and the kid told me it wasn't available to order and he didn't have anything in stock.... this is frustrating.

I had them cross-reference and the only thing that pulled up was the MotoRad and the kid told me it wasn't available to order and he didn't have anything in stock.... this is frustrating.


Find a different AZ or talk to a manager, the kid was obviously carrying an extra chromosome. Motorad/Valucraft are the same thing.

You could also have him pull up autozone thermostat part number: 4127 or 4128 (176/180 respectively).

Thanks for the help guys. The AZ P/N helped me find one at Advance Auto Parts. They could not reference the 383-180, but the AZ 4128 got me the Stant P/N of 14128...

Thanks again!

Thanks for the help guys. The AZ P/N helped me find one at Advance Auto Parts. They could not reference the 383-180, but the AZ 4128 got me the Stant P/N of 14128...

Thanks again!

You can only buy the Valucraft/Motorad (383-170/383-180) at Auto Zone fwiw. The good news with the stant is that you don't have to grind off the frame to get it to fit.

Is everyone in agreement that the Robert Shaw/MotoRad/Valucraft 383-170 or 180 are the best two options?

Is everyone in agreement that the Robert Shaw/MotoRad/Valucraft 383-170 or 180 are the best two options?


I'd say so. They are poppet style (vs. balanced sleeve) with a larger diameter opening than the Stants, and if they fail, they do so in the open position.
The only downside is that the stock T-stat/housing are 63.0mm, the Motorad/Valucrafts are 63.5mm meaning you're going to have to take some material off the frame with either a bench grinder or a rasp/file. It's really not a big deal and only takes an extra 5 minutes tops to get right.
Just remember to not force the MotoRad/Valucraft in place if it's still too large, you will tear the gasket and it will cause a slow leak.

Is everyone in agreement that the Robert Shaw/MotoRad/Valucraft 383-170 or 180 are the best two options?
I am in agreement with that.