Thermostat replacement

[grabeb]

I believe the thermostat is stuck open on 01 Wrangler Sport. Code P1281 and she says it's staying between 100-210 mark.

Anything special to note on this? Housing should be re-useable, correct?? Saw a few people replacing them. I'm guessing the 205 Degree is the one to get?

What about torque specs?

 

[JMT]

I believe the thermostat is stuck open on 01 Wrangler Sport. Code P1281 and she says it's staying between 100-210 mark.

Anything special to note on this? Housing should be re-useable, correct?? Saw a few people replacing them. I'm guessing the 205 Degree is the one to get?

What about torque specs?

It’s desirable to re-use the housing. The housing is aluminum. Don’t over torque it or it will crack.

You want the 195*. The best one is the Robert Shaw Flowkooler. The hole is small, make sure it is oriented at the top.

 

[JKP]

Be sure to scrape every last bit of old gasket off the block and housing, otherwise it will leak.

Make sure the thermostat stays in the recess when you put the housing on, otherwise, it will leak.

Be sure the bleed hole is at the top.

There's probably a torque spec in the FSM. I've never used a tq wrench on them though.

 

[grabeb]

Thanks.

 

[Barely Krawlified]

Couldn’t agree more with the recommendation on the Robert Shaw flowkooler thermostat. The link I provided is for the 4.0L engine and for me personally I went with the 195 degree variant (which I think is the factory thermostat threshold).

It has worked flawlessly since I installed it nearly 2 years ago now.

https://flowkoolerwaterpumps.com/products/robertshaw-330-160-degree-thermostat?variant=9125073354804

 

[grabeb]

Couldn’t agree more with the recommendation on the Robert Shaw flowkooler thermostat. The link I provided is for the 4.0L engine and for me personally I went with the 195 degree variant (which I think is the factory thermostat threshold).

It has worked flawlessly since I installed it nearly 2 years ago now.

https://flowkoolerwaterpumps.com/products/robertshaw-330-160-degree-thermostat?variant=9125073354804

I don't mind ordering that, but my hesitation is it's throwing the code and apparently the engine is not warming up. Not sure how long that's been going on, she hasn't complained about being cold, but we're do for some winter temps next week. So I do worry it won't warm up on her.

With that said, do I just grab off the shelf and hope for best? I could do both and change to the flowkooler when time permits? Not worried about an extra $30

 

[JKP]

If you buy from local parts stores, you're going to get a Motorad, which is junk.

@mrblaine has reported that the Mopar thermostats still work well, even though they are now made by Motorad. Probably made to a Mopar spec. So if you have a dealer nearby, you can probably get it quickly.

The Robertshaw is probably the best one you can get now.

 

[lBasket]

If you buy from local parts stores, you're going to get a Motorad, which is junk.

@mrblaine has reported that the Mopar thermostats still work well, even though they are now made by Motorad. Probably made to a Mopar spec. So if you have a dealer nearby, you can probably get it quickly.

The Robertshaw is probably the best one you can get now.

Frickin heck. Now you got me wondering if my creeping idle temp could be due to my AutoZone special tstat.

 

[grabeb]

If you buy from local parts stores, you're going to get a Motorad, which is junk.

@mrblaine has reported that the Mopar thermostats still work well, even though they are now made by Motorad. Probably made to a Mopar spec. So if you have a dealer nearby, you can probably get it quickly.

The Robertshaw is probably the best one you can get now.

O'Reilly carries Murray! is that the same? Not a huge fan there either, but also not 6 days out. Again, I could order the good one and install the other to get by. Unless you think it's fine waiting, unless she gets cold. My garage is heated, so no issue replacing in bad weather, just her driving to campus and practice early morning

 

[JKP]

Blow up the pics at O'Reilly, says Motorad on the side....

 

[squirrelmaster]

O'Reilly carries Murray! is that the same? Not a huge fan there either, but also not 6 days out. Again, I could order the good one and install the other to get by. Unless you think it's fine waiting, unless she gets cold. My garage is heated, so no issue replacing in bad weather, just her driving to campus and practice early morning

I just installed a Murray one in my Jeep and it works fine. It's just about as easy of a thermostat replacement as there is, so in my mind if the Murray starts causing issues I'll swap in another or order the Robertshaw. One issue with the Murray is that it did not have a bleed hole, so I added one.

Like others have said, make sure everything is clean - I wire brushed both the water pump and the housing mating surfaces and then used some gasket tack and the Fel-Pro gasket that O'Reilly's sells.

 

[Edgar Marton]

Couldn’t agree more with the recommendation on the Robert Shaw flowkooler thermostat. The link I provided is for the 4.0L engine and for me personally I went with the 195 degree variant (which I think is the factory thermostat threshold).

It has worked flawlessly since I installed it nearly 2 years ago now.

https://flowkoolerwaterpumps.com/products/robertshaw-330-160-degree-thermostat?variant=9125073354804

Unfortunately, the Flowkooler website isn't working well... where else can I buy the Robert Shawn thermostat? Is there an Amazon link?

 

[Edgar Marton]

If you buy from local parts stores, you're going to get a Motorad, which is junk.

@mrblaine has reported that the Mopar thermostats still work well, even though they are now made by Motorad. Probably made to a Mopar spec. So if you have a dealer nearby, you can probably get it quickly.

The Robertshaw is probably the best one you can get now.

Unfortunately, the Flowkooler website isn't working well... where else can I buy the Robert Shawn thermostat? Is there an Amazon link?

 

[JKP]

Summit Racing

 

[Harold&Cat]

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...lQtLELNpbMLVr9A03qpDZ1p-VJRIkBLoHSKVugWEk06lE

 

[Edgar Marton]

Thanks Harold for the link, yeah, that's always the problem... $28 for the thermostat and $90 (!) for shipping to Europe... that's absolute nonsense... Amazon offers free shipping or at most $20 (like RockAuto). Unfortunately, that rules out Summit Racing for me... too bad, I would have liked to buy from them... unfortunately, I don't know anyone in the US who can order it for me... oh well, maybe I'll find another Amazon link.

 

[Harold&Cat]

Have you tried eBay ?

 

[JMT]

Unfortunately, the Flowkooler website isn't working well... where else can I buy the Robert Shawn thermostat? Is there an Amazon link?

https://bjsoffroad.com/robertshaw-high-flow-195-degree-thermostat/

The Flowkooler website seems to be working fine. $30 for product and $33 for shipping to Budapest.

 

[Moglocker]

Frickin heck. Now you got me wondering if my creeping idle temp could be due to my AutoZone special tstat.

When I was younger,the first thing I would do is Install a 160 thermostat,I installed an auto zone in a Camaro and the thing would keep creeping until it overheated,it ended up being that auto zone thermostat,I have only bought oem from then on.