Quick question, I'm changing thermostat bought new mopar stat, but is this little dangly thing supposed to be at the top or the bottom?

Old one on the right new on the left

 

By dangly thing I mean that metal thing sticking out

 

Quick answer: goes at the top (lets air through). My OEM replacement came with just the hole, not the dangly thing.

 

Thanks got it. Also it's kind of leaking coolant out of the bottom of the bell housing. I just re-took it back off to clean it up a little more. Any tips to have it not leak out the bottom?

 

^^ what he said

 

Ok got it, no leaks. Thanks guys. Just when I saw it leaking from the housing I thought maybe I put it in upside down. I think that there was just a little bit of gasket stuck to it I missed

 

With replacing gaskets make sure you remove ALL the old stuff, scrape it and clean surface... or you'll be back doing the same thing again....

 

You do know that the bell housing is in the rear of the engine right? If you are leaking coolant back there you have bigger problems then your t-stat.

 

The little poppet gets installed at 12:00.

I usually knock that out (it's just brass,) and drill a similar-sized hole 180* away from that one. One hole at 12:00, one at 6:00. The upper hole passes trapped gas out, the lower one passes water in to displace the gas.

 

knocking the poppet out/drilling holes in the stat just prolong engine warm-up, especially in cool/cold weather when quick engine warm-up is needed. There's a dime sized hole directly beside the stat that bleeds/burps air/gas (?) the moment the motor starts.

 

Like Robert said ^.

This would be the culprit if antifreeze was leaking from the rear of the engine.

 

From Stant's website:

Thermostat Temperatures

Thermostats have a “rated” temperature such as 180F or 195F
This is the temperature the thermostat will start to open, give or take 3 degrees
The thermostat fully open about 15-20 degrees above its rated temperature
Many thermostats have a “jiggle pin” or “check valve” that allows trapped air in the cooling system to pass through the thermostat and be released from the system.
If a Stant thermostat does not have a jiggle pin, it will have a "bleed notch” or other method of removing air from the system.

 

Yep....that quote from the Stant site has been post numerous times and everything about it is true......and it's also true that "stats with a jiggle valve do not bleed when the motor is running, only when the motor is off". The front of the motor is the highest point and air migrates to the highest point so air bleeds thru the open jiggle valve when the motor is off. Coolant flow closes the jiggle valve and no coolant flow allows the valve to open. It's also true that "stats with a 'V' notch bleed regardless of the motor running or not". The 'V' notch is way smaller than a drilled hole and will have virtually no negative effect regarding engine warm-up. That's why the jiggle valve seals up when the motor starts......to prevent flow to the rad thus allowing for the quickest motor warm-up.

 

I'm all over the jiggles!!!!

 

Don't stop playin' now......u r no fun.