Well, Yesterday my thermostat stuck closed and the old 5.9 ran pretty warm!
I was able to turn the heater on full blast with the windows wide open to get home. I ran in and logged onto DTR and did a search on Thermostats...
Got all the skinny on the original (190 degree "good") T-stat and the "superceded" (colder)model too...
I felt SO smug..., armed with old and new Cummins AND Durge part numbers in-hand, I eased over to the local French-Ellison truck shop that is THE Cummins warranty station for mid-range engines.
"Yep, those are good part numbers ya got there, but nope, we don't keep those in stock... San Antonio's got both of them in-stock but it won't be here before tomorrow evening or the next day..."
I HAD to get it running TODAY since it is my work vehicle and no backup.
Dejected, I turned to leave and I turned back around and asked "BTW, how much $$ for the Stat and each seal?..." "Uh,... That'll run $30, seals are included..." Hmmm.. a wee high, but that's doable...
I felt my wallet shiver in fear at the thought of it's next stop.... The DEALERSHIP!!!
I was 15mins away from parts-counter quitting time, with an overheating truck and the nagging fear that the local Durge dealer would have to order it too...
I got there JUST in time before they locked the doors and I asked the parts guy for the original PN (cycling) Stat. He turned the computer screen around with the exploded diagram on it. Yep, that's the one...
He mumbled something that sounded like "superceded number".... Rats! The COLD stat....
While he had the screen turned around, I saw that the List price was $35.00... Hmmm..., not too bad...

AAAACK! The bill came to $65 and change for an OEM Cummins box with a Mopar sticker stuck on it...!!!
He just said, "Well, you know.... Cummins parts and all...".
I said "Cummins parts HELL!, More like Dodge parts and all!! After all, Cummins only wanted $30 dollars for the whole thing!!!..."
He grinned knowingly and said, "Well, yeah you're right.."
I got it home, let it cool down, put it in and sure enough... Runs a lot colder now(170)... I guess I will be talking to Cummins again and ordering the RIGHT $30 stat before this winter...

My wallet still isn't speaking to me...

K.

 

My sympathies to you. I never go to the dealer if I can help it, but sometimes you're stuck. When you get the good tstat just pull the other one, clean it up, and return it.

BTW- What's the good tstat number?

Chris

 

Bah, youre an Instrument guy...LOTS of $$....

So what is the stocker stat (I was told 180 deg) ??. Its funny that you mention this since my thermostat stuck open today.

 

Good stat? Bad stat? think I missed this one could somebody explane please? and of course the number

 

dealerships were invented to make you feel like a TOOL

 

I believe it..., especially when there is NO reason to compete.
When I was in highschool, I was always working on VW's. I knew the parts counter at the ONLY VW dealership in town all too well. Prices were insulting at best... The parts counter was next to the service counter with the cashier's window inbetween.
More than just a few times, I witnessed some poor sap getting the service repair bill and him coming COMPLETELY UNHINGED right there in the dealership... Screaming/yelling,jumping up and down, red face and all.. The service counter people would just disappear into the back, letting the customer almost pass out from exhaustion and then they re-appear when he has no other recourse but to fork over the money to get his car out of hock...
I was always glad I worked on my own VW's...

As far as the OLD 'Stat number, The original stat has this Cummins number:3928499 which Cummins said was still a good number.
If you go to Dodge, and ask for the dodge part# for the old stat, you'll get the superceded stat(Dodge PN. 05014568aa) which definitely runs quite a bit colder than the old one even when it was working well. Yes, the old one cycled too until just recently, but it always would come up to 190 and cycle between ~170 and 190, staying mainly closer to 190.
Now the new 'stat warms up to about 170 and then drops down to the first mark above cold and slowly warms back up to around 170 and repeats.
I foolishly didn't write down the Cummins part number off of the new stat, and the Mopar sticker is a devious device with black pigment mixed in with the adhesive on the back side to prevent read-thru or even peel-off.
I was able to read:"39343.." before the Mopar label destroyed the Cummins label. My DTR notes are in the truck and not here at the compooter.
Oh well, I'll see it again when I replace it with the old style.

...EDIT... I did a search again and the "revised", cold running, superceded 'stat from Dodge is:Cummins pn. 3934373
I will be ordering the original one as soon as my wallet begins to trust me again .

K.

 

just put mine in u can buy a stant 190' #14289, or cummins 180' #3967195 my truck came stock with the 180...the new cummins t-stat isnt built as good as the original caltherm, it looks just like the stant i put in to get me by before i put the 180 back in.

 

becareful here guys the stat for a 12 or a 24 valve are different,don't get mixed up,here is a couple of links...

http://www.scheiddiesel.com/cummins_engine_parts.htm

http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/Facts/96specs.html

http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/Facts/98ISBspecs.html

 

You mean feel like GETTING a tool...

(without permission of course)

 

I owned a VW in gilded clothes Porsche. Luckily the parts guy knew how to pull VW listed parts. The same part grew in price if it had a VW or Audi or Porsche part number.

I've helped the local Dodge dealer source parts from Cummins. They've been nice to me as well.
I got a thermostat from Cummins, but the rad cap from Dodge was fairly priced.

 

The last lift pump, and I do mean the last lift pump, I ordered was $148 dollars. I priced one at another place and it was $342 dollars and I bet you can guess where that was. I don't do lift pumps any more.

Now comes the real rotten trick. I needed a new oil pressure switch for my 99. Called Cummins, yep, got it here on the shelf, $23 but can't sell it to you cause that is a Dodge part. OK, I'll bite. Went to the Dodge dealer and paid $79 for the switch. Imagine how irate I was when he set it up on the counter and it was in a Cummins box.

 

back to thermostats...

Today, I picked up a new one for $38 Canadian.....its a 180 degree STANT and are they ever starting to make these things CHEAP !!

Gonna think twice about putting it in.

Do you guys think there would be much difference between the Stant brand and the $52 Cummins thermostat??

 

I have been following this myself and wonder the same thing. The Hotter stat is important to me- I know the cooler ones are for emmissions reasons only.


I am surprised no vendors are making a hotter stat for our cummins. I know one guy makes a 215* one for the 7.3 navistar and it sells pretty well.


Big Jimmy

 

Big Jimmy: You may be right...
The story as I read it, was that owners supposedly didn't like seeing the swinging of the temp gauge, and Dodge got weary explaining the normal swing to the owners. So, Dodge "superceded" the OEM 'stat for a slower/colder 'stat that purportedly wouldn't "swing" like the old one. I think it is BS, as the new cold, superceded stat still swings like Bob Wills...

Dr Evil: Did you go down to a plain autoparts store and ask for a 'stat for a 12valve CTD, or did you go to Cummins and get that Stant 'stat? My old 'stat worked so well (until recently) that I WILL be putting the original model back in. This new one makes the engine run so cold, I'll be thinking I'm up there driving around with you guys next winter.
Personally, I'd get the original and put it in. It worked so well for the 1st 8 years/200,000mi, I want the same behavior again.

As far as hotter 'stats: I have personally experienced, on several of my old gassers, that colder running engines got considerably worse fuel economy than when running the normal 185/195/205 degF temp 'stats. I have no idea if this transfers to diesels or not, but I would be surprised if it didn't. That may be the reason behind the popularity of the 215degF 'stat for the 7.3 Navistar, to try wringing a few more mpg's out of that engine.
I WILL be watching my fuel mileage since the changeout.
Another thing on that 215 degF 'stat for the 7.3, I'll bet they find out if they have any weak hoses with that one!

DieselDude4x4: THAT would've definitely torqued me up to incandescence by being denied a part in that manner. These modern "guidelined, exclusive procurement/sourcing vendor agreements" that big businesses inherently get into just mucks-up the system for the poor working sap needing a crucial part to get his work vehicle going. I have seen similar by-the-book behavior usually when you call on the phone, as the counter guy doesn't know you from someone from within their own company checking up on them. Being there, looking them in the eye, with old parts in-hand, and making your parts request in a kind and humble manner frequently encourages "bending" the usual rules a wee bit.
I've had good and bad luck dealing with wholesale HVAC parts houses in this manner. The ones I've had bad luck with, I've marked their curb to warn others away from them.

P.O.R.: You're right, I didn't make my original post all that clear it was for a 2nd gen 12 valver, and a '97 at that! Apparently the 97-98 12valves shared the same 'stat and the 96 and older have another, and the 24valves others still...

FuelingAround: I learned from a friend that owned a Cadillac, if you go down and ask for a such and such rated alternator off of a Chevy, you'll get the same exact Delco alternator but at 1/2 the price of the "Cadillac" Delco alternator...

The things we go through just to afford to drive the best engined vehicle on the market!

K.

 

Running too cool does not allow the fuel to burn completely and in a diesel especially, this can lead to crud build up on the rings and everywhere else. My Jeep runs dead on 215 all the time but appears to like it.