Warm climate always got the best time/power # with the 160 and overall cooler temps. Theories are theories

OP Its all where your car feels happy youll know when you spend time with it. Rest is what it is,opinions.

 

And I respectfully disagree. From what I've read, learned, been taught, and what I've done since I started working on cars a little while ago, I see different results.


And, I've worked on cars from NC to CA, and now in AZ. I've done this in a few other countries when I was active duty military too. My results have been different than yours.


I do agree with you to one aspect, an engine will find where it's happy, and stay there, as long as the entire cooling system is in good working order. That said, I like to use a 195* t-stat in all my cars. I even run one in my sand car that sees constant on and off throttle runs, and up and down dunes. It gets very warm, but never boils over.


As long as all our cars are working fine to us, I guess it really doesn't matter how we do, huh?

 

I don't believe the laws of thermodynamics are theories.

One example is the "record" quarter mile times/trap speeds set at ATCO, and not at Firebird in Phoenix.

 

North Carolina gets a 160*

 

I had issues with my 350 SB and changed to a Mister Gasket 4364 high flow thermostat (180 degree). No more issues. Read the write up on this thermostat, at ~$16, it's a low cost option / fix. Good luck, Russ

 

Just a heads up - keep an eye on that MG thermostat. We had over 8 fail in the club. Thank goodness they all failed open.

The last one was in my 1980 Chevy truck this fall - 305 stock except carb and manifold. Noticed it was running very cold and trans would not lock up. Yep failed open. 180 stat MG.

Hope yours works well for a long time.

Thread a while ago..

Mr GASKET High flow thermostat ?

 

You didn't specify transmission - manual or auto. If you got an automatic, your radiator is also your transmission cooler. I've never liked a 190-195 in a non EFI vehicle. Their entire system is "closed loop" and the emissions controls are coolant temp dependent. I have a 180 in my '78 L82 automatic. No issues.

 

 

a 195 caused my car to spit and burp coolant out of the overflow tank after shut down. and it caused my carb to sizzle after shut down also. it's the temperament of a big block I suppose.

removing a thermostat altogether would cause my temp gauge to barely move off of cold.

a 160 solved all my problems.

 

you are correct.. some people confuse it with a thermostat in their home where you set temp and it stays there.. Not the case.. the t-stat sets ONLY minimum temp and has no function after that.. temp will vary depending on cooling systems efficiency .. an engine can run 220* with a 160* t-stat 0r a 195* t-stat.. AND..There is no advantage to running a cold engine... COLD INTAKE AIR is the goal to strive for

 

I just installed a 195 in my brand new LS-5 454. Complete new build, and it takes a bit to get to temp, and so far it stayed at 195. I've been in cold (for Tucson) weather, and warm (90*) weather. It's steady at traveling speeds, sitting at a light, with a lot of close traffic, or light traffic. Maybe I got lucky, again? But I've been getting lucky for over 40 years I guess then....

 

And you stand a bigger chance of running 220* with a 160* t-stat with a marginal cooling system. And that's a fact. Once the entire cooling system gets above the t-stat temp, it stays open and will not allow the coolant to pause in the radiator long enough to shed any heat at all.


I guess we all have our hard headed ways of how we were taught. I actually did some research, reading, and even tested a few cars I've owned in the past. As long as it works for you.......

 

T-stats do not "pause" coolant in radiator to shed heat ..nor is there a need to do so. once engine reaches t-stat set temp, it remains open and coolant continues flow depending on engine speed ,unless system can cool engine enough below that temp to close it. .The efficiency of the system and demands on engine determines operating temp

 

I'm not going to argue with you. I know what I've done, I know what happens. I'm just trying to share my experience and knowledge.

 

Theres No argument necessary or intended .. I only state my opinion based on more than 4 decades of experience with C3s..... you state your opinion.. Build yours as you see fit, I do not require your compliance or even a response .. However , when you misrepresent things to other less experienced members, who ask questions, I will point it out so they don t make the same mistake without an alternative view .. BTW... NICE PIC !!!

 

As will I. And you're not the only one here to have over 4 decades of experience with Corvettes. Newsflash, every internal combustion engine with a cooling system works on the same principles.


So go ahead Mr. Last word, and get it now

 

You didn't get lucky. You have a properly sized cooling system. Your radiator in conjunction with your flow control valve i.e. thermostat with a set point of 195*, are maintaining the coolant temperature at a steady 195* (set point), give or take a few degrees, under the driving conditions that you noted and have learned. The TS is varying it's valve opening and closing position which permits the right amount of coolant to flow through the radiator where the coolant's heat is transferred through the radiator tubes/fins into the cooler ambient air flowing through the radiator. The cooled coolant re-enters the engine where it picks up heat from the cylinder walls. The harder the engine runs, the more heat transferred to the coolant i.e. higher temperature of the coolant, the TS opens more to allow more coolant flow to the radiator where the coolant again loses heat to the ambient air through the radiator tubes/fins and back into the engine and so on and so forth to maintain a constant engine temperature. Under lighter loads, the thermostat closes a bit and there is less flow to the radiator because there is less heat to transfer to the rad. You are always putting cooler coolant into the engine from the radiator and the TS balances the amount of coolant to be cooled in order to maintain a constant coolant temperature under all normal driving conditions in any weather. You cannot achieve a constant coolant temperature under all normal driving conditions in any weather with a TS that has failed closed/failed open or been removed. You may be able to if the rad is partially clogged but your over taxing the cooling system and at some point you may boil over under normal driving/weather conditions.

To compare a TS in a house to a TS in a car I offer up the following. For home heating systems and associated wall TS's, the walls of our home are the heat exchangers for a loose comparison to car radiators. In winter, the TS is set at 72*F. When temps are below that like 20*F, the heated air in our homes is transferred to the cold air outside through the insulated walls much the same as engine coolant heat is transferred i.e. cooled by the radiator tubes/fins. So, our heating system cuts in and warm air is circulated through the house until the temperature reaches the set point of the TS i.e. 72*F as in this example, and shuts off. This takes say 20 minutes. When the outside temperature drops to -20*F, once again the furnace flashes up and circulates warm air until temperature reaches the set point of 72*F. Only this time it took 30 minutes to reach set point of 72*F. So, car cooling systems are much the same as home heating systems in how they are maintaining set point temperature. It's practical in a home to have an on/off system but impractical for a car as you would drive a couple of miles and need to stop i.e. begins to overheat, and then let it cool to set point temperature like 180*F. Repeat. As I mentioned earlier, to overcome this stop and go for cooling, the TS varies its opening to constantly maintain a temperature of 180*F. The more engine load, the more coolant flows through the TS into the rad and vice versa for less load. For a house, the colder outside, the more heat required to stay cozy. Same thing as a car except the car wants cooler coolant and the house wants warmer air - both systems are controlled by a thermostat. Oh, I forgot to mention today's technology to heat and cool homes - HEAT EXCHANGERS!!!

 

The purpose of the radiator is to lose BTUs of heat out of the coolant. It is not there to drop any magical number of temperature degrees. Whether the coolant "pauses" or goes through the radiator at warp speed doesn't matter. It's going to lose BTUs either way (simple thermodynamics). The downside of the "pause" method is that if the coolant drops 40* when traveling through the radiator, it means that there's a 40* rise in the coolant temperature across the engine. Better to speed up the coolant flow, giving only a 5* drop across the radiator, meaning there's only a 5* temperature rise in the coolant going through the engine. I just feel more comfortable when there's not large temperature gradients across the engine if avoidable.

I run a 195* thermostat in my big block. My cooling system and timing curve are capable of keeping the coolant temps manageable even on 90+ degree track days.

 

With all due respect, that isn't true. If the radiator was way undersized, you'd get thermal runaway (what you described). If it is sized properly, the engine temp should run close to whatever thermostat rating you are using (assuming normal airflow through the radiator). Remember, the stat rating is the minimum temp your engine will run at, once warmed up.

Once an engine gets hotter than the stat rating, the stat just stays open, and is out of the picture. It's now just how efficient your radiator is in keeping your coolant temps in check, but the stat will only stop the engine coolant from cooling below the stats temp rating.

 

If you have to slow the pumping of coolant down for it to cool better....the Radiator is too small......
This is why Moroso makes the coolant restrictors.....because most serious drag race cars have Rads that are way too small......the idea is as USAFvet describes....but in competition the idea is to keep the engine as cool as possible for the longest period when running a round.....sometimes the other guy will take forever staging, etc......

Anyhoo.....a 160 is the name of the game in Texas........180 in my home state of Michigan......
I like the Mr. gasket hi-flo with a hole drilled in it.

Jebby