3rd gen 3.5 won’t get up to operating temp

That is nowhere near cold enough to be worrying about cardboard and blocking radiator airflow. I’ve been driving in colder temps and my truck has no issues getting up to and staying at normal operating temperature.

 

cover the radiator with cardboard and it’ll get up to temp if you run it hard. I took a good wide open run earlier. Redline 2nd and ran 7k rpm in 3rd for about two miles. As soon as I dropped second and the rpms jumped up to the 5k mark the temp gauge climbed right up to operating temp. It was 38 degrees on the dash at the time. In cooler temps it won’t quite make it to operating temp when run hard but it’s close.

This is no fix and my truck gets whooped a lot harder than the average 3rd gen I suppose, but i wanted to see if I got the engine temp as high as possible the tstat would free up, but it didn’t. Not completely at least, it does seem to easily maintain the 1/4 mark now though! So it must’ve closed up at least a little after that run. I’ll dissect it when I get the new one swapped in and see where it failed. Then I’ll post my findings on here just to satisfy anyone’s curiosity.

As for the shortage of thermostats, there is no shortage. I found a few aftermarket thermostats made by reputable companies and ordered a dorman brand one from partsgeek. It was the cheapest place I found at $68 usd. Here’s a link if you want to cancel your back ordered thermostat! Or for anyone else that stumbles upon this thread.

https://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2017/toyota/tacoma/cooling_system/thermostat_housing.html

Also please note in all the listings I’ve found there is a clear message saying “with tow package” on some, and “without tow package” on others so there may be a difference.

 

This is a post about our thermostats being stuck open, I absolutely do not beleive you’ve driven in -20 to +20 degree weather with a free flowing coolant system

 

Got one on order, I couldn’t find any thermostats so I made this thread. I now realize I couldn’t find any because they are built into the housing so you have to buy the whole assembly.

 

I think you misunderstood my post. Those temps are not cold enough to need to block the radiator with a properly functioning system.

I have driven down to -60° with a proper functioning coolant system and no radiator blocks with plenty of heat.

 

Oh absolutely, We have seen around -40 up here back when winters used to be harsh and there was never any issue with a good tstat. The old second gens with the 4.0 were excellent at warming up quick and holding temp at idle. I would cold start and take off after 20 seconds or so and it would be at the 1/4 mark in no time.

 

Following to see how this turns out. Hope it’s an easy fix with the parts you ordered OP!

 

The assembly should be here by 2/15 so check back around then. Depending on the weather I’ll have it swapped out as soon as I find the time. I’ve been working a lot of overtime lately so it will probably be the following Saturday. I hope anybody else with issues stumbles upon this thread, there’s not too much info out there on the 2gr cooling system. Hell I never would’ve guessed that the thermostat was molded into the assembly before I made this thread.

 

Temps were between 118-120 on all accessible pints of the cooling system. Radiator was around 110, and oil cooler was around 140 or so.

 

Wait you were driving for 2 miles at 7,000 rpm?

 

Yup, you have an open thermostat.

 

Absolutely

 

Dang I wouldn’t buy it

 

7000 rpm are you thinking clearly?.. lucky you didn’t blow the engine. Google open thermostat symptoms.

 

Anybody who isn’t interested in my rants and experiences with the Tacoma’s I’ve owned can skip to the last paragraph. I get carried away sometimes.

I understand people think I’m insane but I’ve had quite a few Tacoma’s a couple 1st gen 2.7’s, one second gen 2.7, a first gen 3.4, and a a 2nd gen 4.0 before I got this 3rd gen. The 3.4 is in my buddys hands now and doesn’t skip a beat and I beat that truck the most out of all of them, it has seen places and done things people won’t attempt in their utv’s. My 2nd gen 4.0 is in my yard and will fire up and run like a top with the turn of a key, and still has enough power to do donuts on dry pavement (2nd gear clutch drop from redline at a dead stop and it’ll turn right around) that truck saw hours on redline over the course of 80k miles without an oil change. When I changed the oil I saw not much more brass in it than I did when I changed my fathers oil and he babies his truck (also 2nd gen 4.0) the only reason I’m not driving it is I loaned it to a friend of mine for a few weeks and now it doesn’t want to engage reverse. It will go in and push itself back into neutral as your letting off the clutch. I’m convinced he accidentally hit reverse (or tried to) while trying to downshift to first. It will slip in sometimes so I beleive it’s a bent fork.

As for that 2 mile run it wasn’t a long run at all (1 minute) that was 3rd gear wot for two miles at 120mph (gps speed) it doesn’t have enough to push it much further, if I wasn’t on 35’s I beleive it would break 130 though.

But guys that’s a cake walk compared to the lease road runs it sees it’ll be on redline 90 percent of the time until I run out of road. As have all my other Tacoma’s. They never skip a beat. I have learned you keep an eye on oil and coolant, make sure your intake boots are tight on occasion, and these engines will take whatever you throw at them. I’ve only lost one, it was a 2.7 in my 01 ext cab and that was 100 percent my fault. Crushed the oil pan jumping through deep ruts in a series of mud holes that nobody could clear without high centering. Well my bone stock little Tacoma blew right on through and nobody could beleive it. Then a little while later I got cocky and took a few runs up the high tension lines. On the last climb I held redline for a few seconds and heard that distinct metal on metal squeal from a failed oil pump. I got out took a look under the truck and the skid plate and pan took enough of a hit to bend the oil pickup and kink it. But the bottom line is it ran great center with a crushed pickup tube. It just couldn’t supply the oil to run redline rpms. These engines aren’t easy to hurt and if anyone doesn’t beleive me my trucks are living proof. I wasn’t too sure about the 2gr at first, all the electronics had me skeptical but so far I’ve got 40k miles of my own on it and so far it’s looking to be just as bulletproof as it’s older more simple siblings. Even mat Wilson (ovtune) will tell you the 3.5 loves higher rpms, Toyota designed it to perform best higher in the rpm range. Also Toyota reduced the limiter for the 2gr in the Tacoma’s, the same engines are in camrys, and they have a much higher redline. That is why we tuned 3rd gen owners are running the 7200 rpm limit. It is also still making power at that rpm. You gain a lot by running that extra 700 rpm and the engine is more than happy to run up there.

I’m told I should be sponsored by Toyota all the time

 

Also I am aware that it will run in closed loop, but it only sees closed loop at wot for 5 maybe seconds before the engine gets warm enough to switch to open loop. Temp was at the 1/4 mark at the beginning of the run and when I grabbed 3rd it was at normal operating temperature. I dropped 2nd at 60 on the dash, it redlines at 72 on the dash and it makes that 12mph jump in seconds at that rpm. It was 40 degrees at that time. I’m not ruthless enough to whoop it when the ambient temps are too low. I knew it would warm up fast and that was my intention, I wanted to see if I could get the thermostat to open as far as it could and then let it cool down quickly to see if the spring and plunger would return to the closed position.

 

[Update]

New thermostat arrived earlier than expected. Was set to arrive on the 15th and it showed up friday. So parts geek apparently gets parts out pretty quick. It is a beck/arnley I thought I ordered a dorman. But it still appears to be quality and they were the same price. Around $65.00 which is significantly cheaper than oem. But what’s new Oem parts aren’t cheap.

Also I will dissect my factory assembly and figure out where the oem thermostat failed, just to satisfy my and anyone else’s curiosity. I will post the results up once I get everything swapped out and have time to dig the old thermostat out of the housing.

 

Looks like Partsgeek substituted your order with the wrong part. BECK/ARNLEY 1430948 is listed on Rock Auto as "Without Towing Package". 1430947 is for "With Towing Package". Difference is an extra nozzle by the flange: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...ystem,thermostat+housing+/+water+outlet,10337