wrong thermostat

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When I bought my ranger in september, I changed the thermostat due to it taking forever to come up to temp. I bought a Murray thermostat from o reillys. No problems for the past 9k miles. The only thing I find odd is if I park the truck after I make a long drive, get down somewhere for 15 minutes and get back in again and start it, the gauge is already on cold. Its done this since I changed the thermostat and never really gave it much thought, but I figured I'd change it to a Motorcraft one. Looking on O reillys website I see they have two different Motorcraft ones, and a few Murray ones, ranging from a 160 degree to a 195 degree. Im worried that I may have put a 160 degree one back in September, although the gauge stays in the middle. Could this have harmed my engine? It seems like the OE temp is 190-192 degrees. Is the thermost a part that would be better to go with OEM, such as the 190 degree motorcraft or would the 192 degree Murray serve me just as well?
 
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Take out your thermostat and have a look it should be stamped on it. Whenever I buy thermostats they ask me if I want OEM temperature or lower if its available.
 
Everyone says aftermarket stats are to be avoided. I'd start there.

Asking if an auto parts store employee would sell you a wrong part is, frankly, hysterically funny.

RELATED ANECDOTE:
The lovely people at an AAP in Ticonderoga sold me their listed stat for a Toyota. The valve's disc actually hit a bend in the casting and hung up.
It was such trash when compared to the Toyota part I bought when I redid the job.
 
Always go OEM on thermostats.

My grandmother's Trailblazer was having some overheating problems after changing the thermostat to a Stant. I used a micrometer and the opening was over 10% smaller than OEM.

Put a new OEM thermostat in it and it is much better.
 
First off get rid of the Murray. I've had 2 and both didn't work correctly. One suck closed and tried very hard to kill my truck after 500 miles. I've had good luck with OEM stats or Stant Superstats. I've even bought stants that had Motorcraft stamped on them..
 
Robertshaw used to be the hands-down winner of thermostats, but they got bought out by Mr Gasket and production moved to the far side of the world someplace.

Stant Superstat FTW these days.
 
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Something I found, too, is that AAP has a LIFETIME warranty on their Stant Superstats-I've always had good luck with them, too.


First off, Advance doesn't always honor their "lifetime" warranty. Second, a thermostat is not something you should really figure on having to replace.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
a thermostat is not something you should really figure on having to replace.


Really? I certainly *hope* that most everything else on the car lasts longer than a pellet of wax in a chamber with a piston immersed in hot coolant. That's a "finite life" part if I ever heard of one!
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
a thermostat is not something you should really figure on having to replace.


Really? I certainly *hope* that most everything else on the car lasts longer than a pellet of wax in a chamber with a piston immersed in hot coolant. That's a "finite life" part if I ever heard of one!

I agree. I change them as a part of maintenance. My mom's 2003 Buick Rendezvous last year had the original thermostat get stuck closed in traffic in the summer time. Overheated engine, blew head gasket.
 
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