lbz van thermostat conversion

Yngdmax92

Active member
Sep 26, 2013
962
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28
long story short. i bought a van thermostat housing used. It doesn't have the port in the back for the thermostat valve for the turbo line. I had the throught of drilling, tapping and adding in a port to allow a 3/8" of a line to go from turbo to thermostat. Question is, can i just delete the thermostat for the turbo? and run it straight? Have a 3794 for a turbo so it does need the coolant. What are your guy's thoughts of this?
 

MAXX IT OUT

<<<IT WORKS
Mar 1, 2013
1,780
37
48
Des Moines, Iowa
Does it bolt on? I am by no means a expert, but I was under the impression that if it has the bung for the turbo coolent it's a van housing and if it doesnt have it then it's a lml housing. I thought that the lml housing doesn't fit the earlier coolent bridge. Either way I am in for the information.
 

ZeroGravity58

Well-known member
Mar 23, 2008
1,401
51
48
38
Maryland
All the van thermostat housings I've put in are threaded in the back. What I can tell you is the HSP kit I have on my lmm just has a barb welded to the back with no thermostat. I don't see the problem drilling and tapping it
 

juddski88

Freedom Diesel
Jul 1, 2008
4,656
120
63
Chesterfield, Mass.
I may be wrong, but I believe the reason there is a thermostatic valve supplying the turbo is to reduce the amount of time cold oil is flowing through the turbo housing. The clearances in the turbo are relatively tight and thicker oil doesn't work well for the stock turbos. I think that proper temperature control and lubrication control of any other turbo housing requires a little more data collection and tweeking on a case by case basis.
 

Yngdmax92

Active member
Sep 26, 2013
962
44
28
Well shoot, I may have gotten sold a lml thermostat housing. I'll post up a picture shortly.
 

Yngdmax92

Active member
Sep 26, 2013
962
44
28
Maybe it is a lml. Idk doesn't have the side ports though
 

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Nate’s Dmax

Active member
Dec 11, 2020
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28
Maybe it is a lml. Idk doesn't have the side ports though
Yes that is a LML housing or maybe a LGH van housing now that i think about it. I have the 4094 with the van thermostat housing and eliminated the turbo thermostat by putting plug in that i drilled and threaded for a hose barb.