7.3 thermostat from Hell (china)

[OlKoot]

This is what I found when I opened up the thermostat housing, a broken thermostat from china, the ring that holds it in place was broke clear off and causing the stat to plug up the hole. Symtoms included are:
Temperature rising under Load, Radiator cool on one side, lower rad hose cooler then usual. upper rad hose hot.

Not enough coolant flow caused be jobber thermostat.
I would like to add pictures, but you don't make it easy do you.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

I see the pictures just fine. Also I'd say a overly hot upper rad hose and overly cool lower one along with overly higher core temperature on the passenger side than on the driver side of the rad is an indicator of partially clogged radiator - that is if the differences are extreme, as due to the hoses arrangement and the fact it's a diesel engine the upper passenger-side corner of the rad will always be noticeably hotter than the lower driver-side corner. Also the engine will run hotter when under load, if you have a pyrometer you'll notice the combustion temperatures inside the cylinders greatly increases when the load on the engine is high, this extra heat transfers to the coolant and even tho the radiator is quite good from the factory there's only so much it can do - which is why some members here who tow heavy have gone with some custom-built aluminum monsters in place of the factory rads.

All this said, that T-stat is effed pretty good, the consensus is that a replacement should only be had from a Ford or an IHC dealer...

 

[icanfixall]

F***nn china crap killing one of the best motors on the market.... Makes me want to kick the po in the sack... Of all places NOT to cut corners on quality the thermostat is it. Spend what it takes to get the only part that is known to work and work great... I know of only one person that has gotten away with running something other than ford or international thermostats.... Why are you going in so deep on the motor???

 

[OlKoot]

I'm doing a turbo install, so why not do the head gaskets. Installing Turbo compattible Head Gaskets. Lapping the valves, replaceing the valve seals, polishing up the ports.

 

[sle2115]

Spend what it takes to met the only part that is known to work and work great

If you mean Ford/Motorcraft or IHC, I'm still running a Stant with VERY good luck after 5 years or so, maybe more! Still the same one, still working very well, have installed several others as in 6.9 and 7.3's as well, all working quite nicely! I still have a Motorcraft sitting here on the shelf, after reading all the hype on how they were the only ones that would work, I bought one, but I'll tell ya what, if mine failed tomorrow, I'd go get a Stant to put in it! Sold Stant for years with no problems, so I'll stick with what I know.

 

[bigrandy]

If you mean Ford/Motorcraft or IHC, I'm still running a Stant with VERY good luck after 5 years or so, maybe more! Still the same one, still working very well, have installed several others as in 6.9 and 7.3's as well, all working quite nicely! I still have a Motorcraft sitting here on the shelf, after reading all the hype on how they were the only ones that would work, I bought one, but I'll tell ya what, if mine failed tomorrow, I'd go get a Stant to put in it! Sold Stant for years with no problems, so I'll stick with what I know.

I agree totally

 

[OlKoot]

sounds fine, I've been intalling them for years too, but why take a chance, who knows who's making them now...with all the world economy going to hell..could be chineese and you'd never know it...

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

BTW whats the IH part number for the thermostat?

 

[GenLightening]

BTW whats the IH part number for the thermostat?

1807974C94

 

[OlKoot]

why, can't you phone them...I got a ford unit..

 

[LCAM-01XA]

why, can't you phone them...

You mean you've never been given the ignorant "oh, that's a Ford-only part" at the IHC dealership, and then the Ford parts counter goofball don't know how to (or couldn't be bothered to) look the part up properly?

 

[agp23109]

If you mean Ford/Motorcraft or IHC, I'm still running a Stant with VERY good luck after 5 years or so, maybe more! Still the same one, still working very well, have installed several others as in 6.9 and 7.3's as well, all working quite nicely! I still have a Motorcraft sitting here on the shelf, after reading all the hype on how they were the only ones that would work, I bought one, but I'll tell ya what, if mine failed tomorrow, I'd go get a Stant to put in it! Sold Stant for years with no problems, so I'll stick with what I know.

Very good! I purchased an after market (unknown which brand from Kragens (O'Rielys)) a few years back and put it in another '92 I had with no ill effects. However, on my current one I purchased a T-Stat from Ford after reading the hype on this site. I picked one up for $19, and that is here in comunist California, so I thought it was cheap insurance. Much easier to go after Ford if their stuff sucks versus an aftermarket dealer who is going to pawn you off to China to get resolution if their stuff does not perform as advertised. Bottom line, you get what you pay for and their IS cheap insurance out there!!!

 

[OlKoot]

If you look at the picture of the chineese stat, you'll see its much deeper, that alone will restrict flow in my opinion. Flow is very important. So whatever stat you use, Look at the depth and compare with these photo's.

 

[opusd2]

Everything is going Chinese now, or at least to the cheap. Maybe not everything, but you know what I mean.

Even Oshkosh Truck is opening up what they call "Service and Parts Rep" station in China. Want to bet how long it will be before parts are made there? Sorry, my girlfriend works for OT.

 

[FordGuy100]

I was actually reading that chinese workers are starting to strike for higher wages. A lot of analysts (I know, they probably know nothing ) were saying its going to be bumpy for china, as they predict a lot of manufacturing will return to the states.

It was saying to make a book over there it costs $.45-.50, plus another $.05 to ship while it costs $.60-.65 to make the same book over here.