cooler engine temps!

Jeepin Al · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:33 pm

Well being from the old school, and not liking a lot of heat under the hood, I played an old trick on my KJ and her thermostat the other day. Last Sunday I spent a little under four hours installdraining flushing installing some new lifetime silicon hoses (soon to be for sale at jeepinbyal.com and I believe All J) and pored in some nice new antifreeze. But before doing all that, I drilled some small holes in the thermostate plate, kind of a by pass if you will, keeps the engine temps down and lets the water circulate while the thermostat is clamped shut! Guys have been doing this for years, as I. Well are KJ's are just to da**ed smart! It's much smarter than its owner--me :roll:

The computer thru a code, I think it was 1281. Engine taking too long to warm up

WHAT! Can you believe this, so now I need to buy yet another thermostat, remove all my brand new antifreeze and water wetter, and change out the thermostat.

I guess you can't teach an old dog like me new tricks! Or you can't teach a new Jeep tricks the non-computered Jeeps just loved :!:

Al

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:36 pm

Clint and Wally found some 180 or 190 degree thermostats for theirs a while back. Not sure if it threw any codes from that? don't think it did though.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:41 pm

many people think that you should not put a cooler t-stat in it b/c thats the temp the engine was designed to run at. And also it could hurt your gas mileage.

GPR65 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 1:23 pm

Well Clint helped me and told me to order the lower thermostat from jet chips web site. i had this installed and my mileage went up (i do have a stage 2 chip) i checked the temp with the air running and the top hose is right at 180-183 degrees. this works very well and no engine lights at all.

Jeepin Al · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 2:20 pm

What was the part number you ordered? (I found part number 10170 at the jet site earlier today, I think that was for the 180 degree) Thanks for the info!
How does the stage two chip work for you? I have been thinking of sending the computer out, but this is my daily driver. Its easier to just plug and chug!

Al

GPR65 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 3:30 pm

it was the jet chip for the regular cherokee. Yes i have the stage 2 chip and i like it. i noticed a difference in quarter mile times and seat of the pants. definetly put the cooler thermostat in.

Chris

Jeepin Al · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:20 pm

So it happen again! Code 1281-engine not warming up fast enough! I found a (what I think is a 180 degree thermostat) 180 degree thermostat from one of the plug in chip companies. It looked like the old chevy units, and I think it is. I drilled a small hole in it to match the one in the MOPAR unit, put it in a while back, everything is ok unit the 18 degree weather I woke up to yesterday, and the Liberty threw the code again!

I have two bottles of "water wetter", and the thermostat to keep me cool on those hot summer trail rides, now it seems I am going to need to either turn the heat off until the Libby is completely warmed up, or stick the cardbox in front of the radiator for the winter.

Any thoughts????

Al

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:49 pm

Hmm, ok lets talk about this. A cooler stat is not going to slow the heating up of the engine. It stays closed until the coolant gets up to 180 then slowly opens until the engine cools back down to 180. I would say its throwing a code bc its never getting to the normal operating temp(210). Our Grand Cherokee has a 180 stat and works just fine. I love it being cooler, but i think it has made the radiator go sooner than it would of, using a cooler stat makes the radiator do more work, and more coolant goes through it, and clogs it up faster. Make sense?

Jeepin Al · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:23 pm

I think that the stat opens at 180, and if I remember correctly the temp it needs to get to is 175 than its warm enough to kick out of "cold" mode. This is where more fuel is dumped in as on a "choke" condition. My KJ must stay below 175, too long possibly because of the hole I drilled in the stat for the pressure equalization found in the OEM unit. The OEM stat looks like it has a check valve in it, allowing water to flow into the radiator but not back into the block when parked. This hole will allow for the system to be "burped" allowing the air bubbles to be removed at the top of the engine.

So in conclusion, if I am correct, the combination of the little hole, the water wetter, and the 180 degree stat, along with the cold weather has the code popping up. I may need to change the stat to a 180 without a hole drilled in it.

When I get the computer reflashed I am going to ask that this be adjusted (I hope it can be changed).

Al

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2005 11:43 am

ohh, i thought you got a new 180 stat already with no hole in it. Wel never mind then.

speleorelic · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:28 pm

You could just put a screw into the hole and nut it from the other side to plug the hole. Not ,, sealed,, but sealed well enough.

George

Jeepin Al · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:28 pm

Well,

I think I blew it with the bleeder hole, I drilled a 1/8 dia. hole. Ishould have went much smaller. When I am not too lazy,and cheap (the antifreeze is brand new, I will try to catch most of it, and the price of a new stat!) I will drain the system and put a stat in, clear the code and hope for the best.

Why am I doing this, well I am insane! NO...... I want to get the computer reflashed, by B&G see the supercharger post under the performance section, and they reset the timing, and you need a cooler running engine to bump up the timing.

With all that said, I am also cheating, I got a computer off e-bay for $25.00 and when I called B&G they said that they could reprogram it and install my vin number on the computer....cool, I will stay legal here in NJ, and have a back up computer (the stock one) just incase the reflashed unit fails inspection, or dies on me.

Al

80351 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 09, 2005 1:37 am

Hey Al,
A couple of questions, what is reflashing the computer? Remembor I Pmed you about the hard down shift, well I talked to a service chic I know and she said they would have to flash the computer in the mean time I pulled the codes just to see what was there and I had a P0836 which is something about the transfer case MUX. Took it back to the place that did the trans fluid for me and they corrected their fluid level Boo Boo which was way to high. Could this have been the problem causing the code and now it's just in there?
Going back to dealer to check next Tuesday anyway.
Did you know these things have a learning transmission?
Dave
PS
Got a set of those dio books if you need them.

cooler engine temps!

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