Let's just say that I wouldn't be surprised to find the broke thread part of the OEM bleed screw in the thermostat that I lost about a month ago

So not sure if it is Tricky Dick's fault this time vs. Dirk Diggler's hack job on replacing the coolant pump.

 

hell I replaced the water pump on the side of I-65 only to find out the fan clutch put the hole in the radiator. I'm thinking seriously about drilling the hole in the fan clutch and doing like the do in the desert so the thing on constantly at whatever rpm I'm going. Should help out in the south

 

I ran factory 180 thermostat for awhile and I decided to do a coolant flush. Ever since, for the life of me, I couldn't get rid of air in the coolant system. Even with vacuum filling the system.

Factory thermostat without being properly bled, thermostat acts very irradically due to mirriad of hoses and various spots where the air can get trapped.

​​​​That was enough reason for me not risking already finicky engine to run hot and toasting it.

Inline mod only allows the coolant to flow one way no matter what. None of that recirculation crap.

I haven't seen it gone up above 190 yet.

 

I recently did the inline with a 180F and in the mild Seattle climate I run 183-188F never gone above. Huge improvement over the up and down temp swings experienced with three different soft spring stats. My concern is with an oil cooler, my oil at say 40-50F ambient and at freeway speeds runs 177-180F. Is that a long term issue? I was originally going to use a 185F stat for this reason but could not find one other than the Meziere brand and there have been some complaints on that one. Any thoughts on this or am I over thinking it?

 

I'm going to do this mod when I replace my leaking water pump in a week or two. I feel the stock setup leaves too much to chance especially since I plan to use my D2 in remote places. What size adapter are people using in place of the plastic T with the bleed screw? I've seen some people say 32mm and others use 34mm.

Also probably the better price on the adapter that I have found,

 

not sure on your q. What hose did you use Stat to bleeder, that's a nice clean look. Mine, not so much.

 

Somebody posted his thermostat mod on discoweb.com; it's very clever if anybody wants to check it out

https://discoweb.org/showthread.php?t=95160

 

I can't see the photos, not a member of that site. However, it sounds like the old Ford bypass setup that the drag racers use. I'm in the middle of doing this myself, along with a new all aluminum radiator and Taurus dual speed electric fan and dual temp sensor. You won't need to modify the thermostat, but get a lower rated one than 192 degree. I'm trying a 180.

I'm modifying part of a replacement rover coolant hose set that I already had and adding where needed. The Ford setup is normally closed with a hole in stem dumping into a bypass hose feeding into a tee in the bottom hose, bypassing the radiator straight back into the water pump. The bypass is reduced or shut off as thermostat warms and flow enters radiator. The housing has one inlet and two outlets.

The bottom replacement rover hose has a glass reinforced nylon connector (in lieu of molded hose like original) with two branch outlets for the heater hose return and hose to the coolant expansion tank. I am using one of these for the expansion tank hose and the other into a tee between the heater hose and the bypass hose.

I am putting a dual temp sensor in a tee in bottom hose immediate to the radiator outlet. This will turn on low fan at 180 degree and high fan at 185 degree if needed in stop and go traffic. I am also installing a manual high fan switch and kill switch (water crossings). Working on the installation of the radiator now and have a unique mount I'm sorting out.

 

Upper & lower

 

I had a Taurus fan on my lightning for awhile and switched to a windstar dual fan. That thing moves some serious air, could prob keep a rover motor cool with air alone lol.