Ruined thermostat from 05 Chrysler 300C 5.7L HEMI

[BlazerLT]

Ok, swapped the stat out and it was trashed.

Engine gets up to 95c in 10 minutes now and the heater output is stifling. I think this has been a problem for quite some time.

Here is the thermostat front:

Notice something weird. Notice that the material all around it is missing? Thankfully it is in the rad and not in the block seeing this stat flows to the rad.

Here is the back of the stat and it isn't much better.

As you can see there isnt much of a seal and coolant is being allowed to bypass thus keeping the engine from getting completely up to temperature.

Again, engine is running at 95c steady now and anyone noticing the temp lower than that regardless of temperature should swap in a new one.

[censored], I would check it. The one I just took out will not open anymore even when exposed to boiling water.

BTW, this stat cost me CDN$48 with taxes!!!!! There is no aftermarket up here yet. Sunuvabitch.....

Also, do I have to worry about the missing material?

 

[The Critic]

How many miles? Shouldn't this be under warranty?

 

[Merkava_4]

What is this ''missing material'' you're talking about? Are you talking about a seal that goes around it?

 

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
How many miles? Shouldn't this be under warranty?


Cat has 72000kms or 45000miles.

Yes, this should be covered under my extended warranty but the flat warranty fee was more expensive than doing this myself.

Took 2 minutes to replace.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: BlazerLT
Also, do I have to worry about the missing material?


Did the new thermostat come with a seal around the outer perimeter? Is it suppose to have one?

 

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: BlazerLT
Also, do I have to worry about the missing material?


Did the new thermostat come with a seal around the outer perimeter? Is it suppose to have one?


Yes, I took that off, I am talking about the black material which you can see the remainder of in the center portion or the front shot and the big piece missing from the back portion.

 

[Merkava_4]

Your pictures are clear as a bell and I'm looking right at them and honestly don't see anything missing.

 

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Your pictures are clear as a bell and I'm looking right at them and honestly don't see anything missing.

do you see the little black bits there. that is what is remaining from the rubber seal that covered the entire center portion of the thermostat. It is clear as day there. Look for the remaining black chunks.

Here you can see the missing chunk of rubber plain as day. The back you can see the big chunk missing as well. Look where the rust is. There is a black rubber ring that goes right around and you can see the 1/2 inch chunk missing.

 

[tackleberry625]

Looks like either a faulty part or the engine was overheated and got so hot parts of the stat melted. Yikes.

 

[Merkava_4]

I see it now! I just needed to tilt my screen forward . .

 

[mechtech2]

When the weather gets nice, you can try and drain the coolant out from the bottom hose and get the large particulate matter out of the system.

 

[Kestas]

It may have helped to show the good thermostat next to it.

It appears that rubber is molded around that part and locked in by the holes in that surface. It's a rather "budget" way of bonding rubber to metal. Usually the metal surface is treated with a phosphate coating and cement wash before bonding rubber to it.

 

[gomes512]

It's right in the picture, don't you see it?

The words "MADE IN MEXICO"

But on a serious note, glad to hear it didn't get trapped in the block that would have sucked!

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: gomes512
It's right in the picture, don't you see it?

The words "MADE IN MEXICO"

That's the first thing that I noticed...

At that point, If I had a choice (which it sounds like there wasn't one, which is unfortunate...), I would have handed it back and said "No thanks".

Why isn't there any aftermarket option? I see that NAPA doesn't have anything either. Is it a design exclusive to the 300C, and the demand isn't there?

 

[Chris142]

Chrysler Stats usually only last around 35k. My 02 Jeep got one @ 28K. I bought the replacement from the dealer and it stuck @ 55k.

I replace many in customers cars with around 35K. The aftermarket ones seem to be better than O.E.in this case. GM and Ford stats usually make it to 100K or more.

 

[Merkava_4]

Blazer,

Did the new thermostat you bought have the rubber stuff intact?

 

[Merkava_4]

I would've been interesting to see what the new one looked like.

 

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Blazer,

Did the new thermostat you bought have the rubber stuff intact?


It looked liek it was differnt and the material was no longer a soft rubber but a hard plastic layer instead.

I should have taken a picture of the new one.

It is going to be impossible to get the chunks out of the rad seeing they sink and it will be at the bottom and will not be able to be drained out the lower port on the cold side. The passages in the rad won't be big enough to pass it.

I didn't see any chuncks in the block where the thermostat was inserted so it has to be somewhere.

But my [censored] this car is quick now that it gets up to temperature.

 

[eljefino]

I've noticed this adding rubber to thermostats and don't really like it.

The old "UFO" stats from the 90s and before worked great and were so universal you could try different brands, even temperatures, if that was your cup of tea.

These rubber seals seem to degrade if only from the friction of the devices own opening and closing. Saturn's design has a rubber stopper smoosh up against something in the car's gooseneck/water outlet. Always seems to be eroded on ones I pull. The stat keeps a consistent temp above 40'F or so but then when winter comes around and one coasts down a hill they lose a lot of heat.