Any reason not to use a warmer thermostat?

[chris142]

My new to me b7510 does not warm up. Either the stock 160 thermostat is stuck open or someone took it out.

Any problem with putting a 180 in there? It well documented that engines get less wear,make less sludge etc when they run at a higher temperature.

 

[GeoHorn]

Yes. It’ll be Wrong.

If you’re concerned, take your thermostat out… place it in water and bring to a boil …checking with a candy thermometer to see when/if/where it opens. If it doesn’t open at the proper temp…. replace it with the CORRECT OEM thermostat.

But it may be possible your Temp gauge is the problem if it never moves. Simple check on that also. Remove the wire from the sender…. ground it to the engine….it should read HOT.

 

[chris142]

The engine won't get up to operating temp. That I can feel with my hand.

 

[TheOldHokie]

The engine won't get up to operating temp. That I can feel with my hand.

That indicates the thermostat is stuck in thr open position.

Dan

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

These engines run cool, that's one of the reason they last!
Changing the T-stat is not going to help it one bit.
In fact you're very likely to do damage to it.

What is the air temp when your testing it?
If it's cold out it could be pulling to much cold air and you need to restrict the radiator air flow.
How are you running the unit, slow and easy or WOT and making it work?

How are you measuring temps, if it's just with your hand, that's not very accurate.
If it is running cool, then the T-stat is stuck open and needs replace with a good proper temp T-start.

 

[Dustball]

The engine won't get up to operating temp. That I can feel with my hand.

A warmer thermostat will not make it warm up faster. Thermostats start opening near their rated temperature. The rate an engine warms up the coolant will be the same regardless of what temperature the thermostat is rated for.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

My new to me b7510 does not warm up. Either the stock 160 thermostat is stuck open or someone took it out.

Any problem with putting a 180 in there? It well documented that engines get less wear,make less sludge etc when they run at a higher temperature.

Japanese name-brand engines are highly engineered. The Japanese are known for perfecting whatever they do to extreme degrees. If you change something I can almost guarantee you from experience it will run worse overall, or at least have a shorter lifespan--there are exceptions, but those are narrowly tailored.

But, yeah, some cars run at 220°F, it's a diesel so can therefore run hotter, plop a 245° thermie in there and see how it goes. It's not great reasoning, and I would guess it's going to wreck your engine, but you won't know unless you try it.

 

[chris142]

These engines run cool, that's one of the reason they last!
Changing the T-stat is not going to help it one bit.
In fact you're very likely to do damage to it.

What is the air temp when your testing it?
If it's cold out it could be pulling to much cold air and you need to restrict the radiator air flow.
How are you running the unit, slow and easy or WOT and making it work?

How are you measuring temps, if it's just with your hand, that's not very accurate.
If it is running cool, then the T-stat is stuck open and needs replace with a good proper temp T-start.

I worked at Radiator shop for 20 years. I know that if I can hold my hand on any part of the engine and it's not uncomfortable it's running too cold. I wash my hands with hotter water.

I'm in the mojave desert and it was about 70F yesterday. I had the throttle wide open and made 50 trips of full buckets to fill in the ditches on my road.

The air flow through the radiator should not effect the lower running temp at my ambient temps. The thermostat controls the minimum running temp and I'm surprised that it has a 160 and not something warmer.

 

[chris142]

A warmer thermostat will not make it warm up faster. Thermostats start opening near their rated temperature. The rate an engine warms up the coolant will be the same regardless of what temperature the thermostat is rated for.

If the thermostat is stuck open it will effect the amount of time to warm up if it ever does. I ran it wot about 4 hrs and it never got warm. Stone cold.

 

[GeoHorn]

Drain the coolant completely and it’ll run warmer.

 

[TheOldHokie]

The needed action is obvious:

Remove and test the existing thermostat!!!

Dan

 

[lynnmor]

A diesel takes a full gulp of air each intake stroke, there is no throttle plate. The power is regulated by the amount of fuel injected. Those big gulps of cold air will cool the engine if it is not working hard, my guess is the engine manufacturer chose a rather low temperature thermostat to narrow the temperature swings of the engine.

 

[TheOldHokie]

A diesel takes a full gulp of air each intake stroke, there is no throttle plate. The power is regulated by the amount of fuel injected. Those big gulps of cold air will cool the engine if it is not working hard, my guess is the engine manufacturer chose a rather low temperature thermostat to narrow the temperature swings of the engine.

I just checked price on Messicks and noticed fhe currently listed thermostat is 82`C (180`F). Apparently Kubota thought better of their original choice. Messicks wants $50, aftermarket is $13.

Dan

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I worked at Radiator shop for 20 years. I know that if I can hold my hand on any part of the engine and it's not uncomfortable it's running too cold. I wash my hands with hotter water.

I'm in the mojave desert and it was about 70F yesterday. I had the throttle wide open and made 50 trips of full buckets to fill in the ditches on my road.

The air flow through the radiator should not effect the lower running temp at my ambient temps. The thermostat controls the minimum running temp and I'm surprised that it has a 160 and not something warmer.

You know far more than all of us, good luck to you.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

I just checked price on Messicks and noticed fhe currently listed thermostat is 82`C (180`F). Apparently Kubota thought better of their original choice. Messicks wants $50, aftermarket is $13.

Dan

I wonder if the EPA got 'em.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I wonder if the EPA got 'em.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I just checked price on Messicks and noticed fhe currently listed thermostat is 82`C (180`F). Apparently Kubota thought better of their original choice. Messicks wants $50, aftermarket is $13.

Dan

The OP is mistaken, the stock thermostat was a 180F / 82C so if he's got a 160 in it, it's not stock.

 

[TheOldHokie]

The OP is mistaken, the stock thermostat was a 180F / 82C so if he's got a 160 in it, it's not stock.

Makes more sense - 160 is cooooldddd.

 

[whatsupdoc]

In my world if I go to the trouble of removing a thermostat, I will test the old one and
the new OEM one that is going to replace it.

 

[chris142]

The OP is mistaken, the stock thermostat was a 180F / 82C so if he's got a 160 in it, it's not stock.

Thats good to know. Its definitely not running 180*. The dealer told me that the original thermostat was a 160*. So did Google.