Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Well, after two weeks of never getting above the 140 mark on the coolant temp gauge (even after driving 20 highway miles in 50 degree weather), I ordered a thermostat and two gaskets from Cummins. Things went fairly well, and the next time around will be a piece of cake.
The job went something like this...
I could not twist the petcock on the radiator with my hand so I got out the pliers. Being very gentle, I give it a twist. Ahh, this will work, I say. But wait, nothing is coming out. After 2 or 3 minutes of gently twisting back and forth and tugging, a drip! A few more tugs, and then a very small flow right into the bucket. But this will take for ever! I have to do something different. So, I give it one more gentle tug. All of the sudden, POP! Out came the petcock and here came the antifreeze! I now know how the little boy felt at the dyke.
I had my finger in the hole trying to stop the gushing flow and was desperately looking for the petcock or something other than my finger to stick in that hole. The petcock had been blown out of reach and the only thing I could get to was a UPS box that had just been delivered. While lying under the truck with my finger in the hole, I struggle for what seemed like an eternity and finally managed to tear open the box with my one free hand (btw, they use way too much tape). I used a piece of the box to funnel what I could of the flow into the bucket. What a mess!
The rest of the job was a breeze. Remove the fan belt (3/8s ratchet and a pipe). Remove the alternator bracket (2 bolts) and loosen the alternator pivot bolt and tilt the alternator down a bit. Remove the thermostat housing (3 bolts) and pull things apart. The new thermostat went right in, I buttoned things back up, and a couple minutes later I was dumping the antifreeze back in. Coolant temp comes up much better now.
Part numbers used:
Thermostat - 3928499 (this is the “old” part that was superseded by 3934373)
gasket and seal - 3925466 and 3927305
Here is a pic of the old thermostat.
T-Bone
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The job went something like this...
I could not twist the petcock on the radiator with my hand so I got out the pliers. Being very gentle, I give it a twist. Ahh, this will work, I say. But wait, nothing is coming out. After 2 or 3 minutes of gently twisting back and forth and tugging, a drip! A few more tugs, and then a very small flow right into the bucket. But this will take for ever! I have to do something different. So, I give it one more gentle tug. All of the sudden, POP! Out came the petcock and here came the antifreeze! I now know how the little boy felt at the dyke.
I had my finger in the hole trying to stop the gushing flow and was desperately looking for the petcock or something other than my finger to stick in that hole. The petcock had been blown out of reach and the only thing I could get to was a UPS box that had just been delivered. While lying under the truck with my finger in the hole, I struggle for what seemed like an eternity and finally managed to tear open the box with my one free hand (btw, they use way too much tape). I used a piece of the box to funnel what I could of the flow into the bucket. What a mess!The rest of the job was a breeze. Remove the fan belt (3/8s ratchet and a pipe). Remove the alternator bracket (2 bolts) and loosen the alternator pivot bolt and tilt the alternator down a bit. Remove the thermostat housing (3 bolts) and pull things apart. The new thermostat went right in, I buttoned things back up, and a couple minutes later I was dumping the antifreeze back in. Coolant temp comes up much better now.
Part numbers used:
Thermostat - 3928499 (this is the “old” part that was superseded by 3934373)
gasket and seal - 3925466 and 3927305
Here is a pic of the old thermostat.
T-Bone
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