1996 4.0 XJ. I'm looking to replace my thermostat with something that is sure to work. The original has been sticking open for year or two so i replaced it with a Stant 195 and it appears to be just as bad. I'm looking for advice for brands and part numbers. So far I have heard Robert Shaw is pretty good but what part number is it and where can I buy one?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

OEM from the dealer.

replace with mopar, this discussion has been hashed out on here multiple times. Everytime, mopar wins. Yes it's more expensive, but it works.

When the Mopar part won't break the bank and are still available I would go that route. I have a few Mopar part I don't need yet but got just because who knows how long they will still be available.

http://www.themoparpartsdepot.com has the cheapest shipping rates I've found vs other online Mopar parts stores.

52028186

In my experience (40+yrs) the Mopar OE t-stats are superior to Stant. Not sure why, because Stant is the OE manufacturer for Mopar. If you talk with old Mopar gear heads you'll find that in general the engines used in Mopar trucks use a better t-stat than the cars with the same engine. (more costly as well) Mopar has gotten it wrong a couple of times with their OE t-stats (quote borrowed from Allpar http://www.allpar.com/fix/engines/co...tem-about.html ) "If the engine doesn't reach full operating temperature, chances are that you replaced the thermostat with one that has an air bleed valve (also known as a jiggle pin, or check valve).... The air bleed valve on the thermostat was designed ... to allow air out of the cooling system when refilling after service.... Unfortunately, it allows too much coolant to circulate through the system and hinders proper warm-up of the engine. This is more noticeable in the cold climates. Get rid of that thermostat. Get one without the air bleed valve." This may be the issue you have encountered. On the other hand, Jeep 4.0 engines have been known to get air trapped in the cooling system. This causes all kinds of problems including low heat issues. Burping the system is a must, but can be difficult. If the t-stat that you use has a small hole in the flat metal disc, make sure that the stat is installed with the hole at six o'clock. Good luck.

I have used Mopar stats with the jiggle valve with no issues numerous times.

I've been reading about t-stats this evening. The Mopar unit is hands down the one to choose for reliability. What's a few extra bucks?

I was looking more along the lines of upgraded pieces. I read many good reviews about the Robertshaw units, carried by Flowkooler. Supposedly they flow a little better blah blah blah. Unfortunately it looks like they no longer make our particular t-stat (370 series) but Flowkooler modifies another model (330 series) by soldering a brass plate onto it to have a larger diameter or something.

I'm all about little upgrades where possible but I'm skeptical about that to say the least. Interesting nonetheless. Here's a link to what I'm looking at.

http://www.flowkoolerwaterpumps.com/...duct_info.html

You can also use a vacuum filler to fill your system and not have to worry about burping out trapped air.

x2 on the vac filler. Great suggestion.

Thank you all for your thoughts and experience. I will try out a Mopar tstat and see how it works out

Hmm.. concerning. T-stat is on my to do list for tomorrow. Not due to being faulty but due to a slight leak at the gasket. I have a Stant from NAPA so I was going to replace the Stat along with the gasket just because I was gonna be pulling it....


Now wondering if I should just pull, clean up, and replace gasket. Last thing I need it to swap a good part for something that may end up causing issues... I seem to get enough new issues each time I wrench on the thing as it is lol

If you have it apart, replace the tstat while you are there with a mopar one. It comes with the gasket too. This way you know you have a reliable tstat in it and when it was replaced. Just because something hasn't broke doesn't mean you shouldn't replace it. Preventative maintenance.

Yep I agree but like I said I already have the Stant. Sadly getting my hands on MOPAR parts typically means either ordering online and waiting or ordering thru the dealership and driving well out of my way to pick up. (I live in BFE). Until reading this thread I figured the Stant from Napa was a decent part...

I use wermopar.com, pretty good site.