doug60

In fear of popping the freeze plug, I removed the two bars bells off my 190 stock therm.
The result was , (Never got past 170 at highway speeds) 35 /40 degrees ambient
So I picked up a 180 & only cut one barbell off.
Temp reach 180 in a reasonable amount of time.
Cummins had told me A few years ago, that the optimum water temp is 180.
Do you think 180 is hot enough the achieve peak efficiency??
Do you think the removal of 1 barbell only is enough to keep the freeze plug from popping out??

cquestad

I would like to know too...I need to do this soon.

elandon1201

If anyone has some insight let us know, we have an 06 out here that spit the rear we re plugged, spit the rear, we put the plate on it and it now spit the side right under the turbo. I am afraid if we fix that one really good it will spit anotherone somewhere else.

wap

X2

I have my rear plug covered with a plate but I am thinkin about doin my thermostat next month when it warms up. Summers get pretty hot and I doubt being too cool will be a problem BUT the winters are still too cold to me to run a barbelless tstat year round.

abc4yew

I took out both bar bells and drilled them out to 3/16"... The temperature did take a longer time to get warm... and only got to 165 or 170 lazing around empty but I saw no other ill effects and I never lost a freeze plug but did pop a hole in the rad...twice. Any additional relief is better than none...some people have clipped the waterpump fins a little bit in a effort to keep the freeze plugs in...I'm surprised no one has come up with a pressure relief to sit in parallel with the thermastat to allow the pressure surges to be vented across to the rad or excess coolant tank.

Gwoody

I was kinda under the impression that they changed the size on that rear plug in 05 and it slowed the problems way down. Has anyone else blown out one on the side of the block?

Mr Bee

I had a 99 F250 SD and I read that 203 degrees was the optimum temp for diesel combustion. That may have been for the Ford, and I was looking for a 200 degree for the Dodge.
I am sure that there are many things that affect the perfect temp.

RamWheelsBy4

Well I don't know what the optimum running temp is and I am sure it will be different on the street, towing or on the track. But not at the optimum running temp could have other negative results on modded engine in WOT track mode.

I certainly wish I had known the risk and would certainly have removed the bars and drilled them out. I do have a plate over the rear plug now although a little late.

Problem is that you won't ever really know for sure until you have pushed the limits enough to feel safe. And then one could go the next hard run on the track. That is always a risk when pushing the limits racing. Mine did not happen until a lot of runs with the TST, EZ and Smarty stack on the track. Smarty did allow fueling through a lot higher rpm level and I think that was the eventual cause. Water pump spinning harder and creating more pressure at higher rpms, lot of EGT heat and just maybe not the best engineering on the rear plug, at least not for high hp and racing.

rowlrag

Is popping a freeze plug a common thing? Is it from to much pressure built up from heat I assume? My guage always stays a needle below 210, but the top radiator hose is always hard, and still holds the pressure over night. Has done this since new. So drilling out the bar bells should reduce pressure and operating temps some to save the plugs right?

RamWheelsBy4

Not necessarily common, but a number of modded trucks have blew the rear plug. I think most I have seen including mine had a downloader that seemed to allow fueling through higher rpm levels than just a box. The normal ECM programming will start defueling at 2950-3000 rpms even with TST, Juice, etc. The Smarty, PPE and I think the BDTD CL will fuel through higher rpms. This does create a higher pressure from the water pump along with other issues in a hard WOT condition. You can install a metal plate over the rear plug as I have done, but that requires trans R/R.

rowlrag

Thanks Ramwheels

wap

Thanks to you, I got my plate from Michle and installed it when I swapped my clutch out. It makes me sleep a little better at night.

salsanders

Can someone help me I need to change a Thermastat in a Cummins Deisel ,PLease,, I don't know how.

gator6

it dosent matter i have tested my 180 for a few months now, there is no change in power and no change in fuel milage, that is driving cross country and from yuma to ocean side, mph 75-95 6" lift and 35's heavy grade and outside temp 110-115 lately no problems.

duallydave

hey doug whats the part number for the 180?my local shop says they dont carry a 180,only a 195.i want a 180.thanx