What is the advantage of this setup compared to running a stock 180 deg. thermostat? I've been seeing this mod here on the site a few times now but have not seen anything regarding why its better then the original setup with the 180 deg. thermostat.

 

I had purchased a cheaper thermostat off of amazon, then I got the ultraguage for the bluetooth.... ( it seems very glitchy getting the blue tooth connection up and running, wish I woulda went with the standard ultra gauge) anyhow my first temp readings were 220 and climbing each time it reached that temp I would shut her down immediately. Don't know what the temps were running for the PO and the original thermostat but Id imagine about the same...

Once the mods were done with the Gates 22073 hose to attach from the lower radiatior connection to the Y connection ( thanks Bom2oo2) and the meziere 0071, and the glow fast 34 mm (black) housing, temps were ranging from 179 up to 198. You could watch the temps cycle on the ultraguage and see exactly when the thermostat opened and closed...... Pretty cool!

I used the original lower radiatior hose, cutting it exactly in half, to create 2 upper 90 degree pieces. Attachment sequence went as follows: engine block, then 90, then thermostat housing, then 90 and then to the glow fast bleeder attachment and then to the long hose across the top of the radiator to finish the job. I cut the long hose across the top of the radiator down about 3 inches and had to do zero modifications to the upper fan shrowd. So, again thanks to all who posted their experiences with the inline thermostat mod. Made the mod super easy.... I think ill drive it for a while and then next will be to tackle the brakes....

 

you could possibly have a faulty radiator or otherwise; you should not experience a large fluctuation in the operating temp. It should be no more than +\- 5 degrees, maybe a couple more deg, Tops, with AC running in 100+ deg climates. Maintaining a relatively stable operating temp is the working principle behind the whole inline housing/traditional Tstat and deleting the bypass loop. An infrared temp gun used on the radiator will tell you a lot about its performance and proper function. The temp swings could also be result of faulty pressure cap, gaskets or viscous fan clutch.

 

No one ever posts complete set of pics w this mod. I have a hard time grasping it when not standing in front of the truck.

 

I have some pictures in a "mods" photo album on my profile if you want to take a look-see

 

Top hose goes from upper block outlet to hose that sits on the fan shroud. Lower hose goes from radiatior lower outlet to y fitting that original thermostat sat on top of. Now I see why people cut the shroud, my bleeder valve is leaving an imprint in the hood insulation. My temperatures have leveled out to about 185 with only 5 degree swings either way. May have had some bubbles in there. I'm getting farmilliar with the UltraGauge Blue. Now I need to sort out the trouble codes. She's been acting up a bit. O2 sensor voltage issues. Was it spilled antifreeze or seafoam fuel treatment breaking stuff loose?

 

Lowcoe,

Thanks for photos, looks good.
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Move your bleeder piece to middle of plastic shroud, between two sections that hold the hose & it will not hit hood insulation any more, you don't need to cut anything,

 

Would need to do some hose cutting.

If the insulation imprint doesn't bother you too much the current slightly higher position should be more efficient for bleeding. I like it as is and one of the cleanest looking stat mods to date.
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I think I'll loosen the hose clamps and rotate the petcock towards the front of the car, that should provide enough clearance. If I need to bleed when I lift the hose up and out of the fan shroud it should rotate enough to get a proper bleeding angle.

Temps have been holding steady. Might think about a 190 thermostat if gas mileage suffers too much. I thought I was going to edit my criticisms of the ultraguage blue because I was getting used to it but today I couldn't get it to connect through the Bluetooth.... gonna see if I can exchange for a regular UltraGauge....

Edit/update: I returned my ultra gauge blue (wireless version). I got the standard one. Temps now hover very close to 180. The ultraguage folks were good with support. They said they tested my returned UltraGauge Blue and it worked flawlessly for them. All I know is that it caused me hours of frustration trying to get it to connect to my I phone 6. If you ask me I'd say stick with the standard version.