Thermostat Debate
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 824
Likes: 2
From: Camden SC
Remember, a thermostat's temp value is the point at which your coolant gains access to your cooling system. It is a door that opens and lets the water see how efficient your cooling system really is. If you have an efficient cooling system the thermostat has nothing to do with that fact expect for being the gate keeper. It just opens up at the set temperature (approx) and then the COOLING SYSTEM goes to work on coolant.
Hard to determine if thermostats or injectors are the most misunderstood components.
I would not change components unless you have a specific application that requires some engineering change.
dlmeyers
Hard to determine if thermostats or injectors are the most misunderstood components.
I would not change components unless you have a specific application that requires some engineering change.
dlmeyers
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 71
Likes: 1
From: Montgomery NY
Stock t-stat and have your fans programmed lower.
I'm sending mine out in a couple weeks. I'm not positive where i want it yet but i think around 215-220 ON and 205-210 OFF should be good. Still enough heat to burn off contaminants but will avoid the heat soak that you get when the car sits in traffic. But I'll wait for what Pcmforless suggests when I order
I'm sending mine out in a couple weeks. I'm not positive where i want it yet but i think around 215-220 ON and 205-210 OFF should be good. Still enough heat to burn off contaminants but will avoid the heat soak that you get when the car sits in traffic. But I'll wait for what Pcmforless suggests when I order
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 34,988
Likes: 515
From: Riverside County Southern California
Co-winner 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C4 of Year
2016 C7 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
160 thermostats
180 thermostats
...they all made in Japan
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160 thermostats also go bad
and when is Friday night and there is only one choice, the local auto parts becomes your savior and they don't sell the 160 thermostat.
...your choice
180 thermostats
...they all made in Japan
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160 thermostats also go bad
and when is Friday night and there is only one choice, the local auto parts becomes your savior and they don't sell the 160 thermostat....your choice
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 755
Likes: 32
From: Roswell Georgia
Here We Go Again!
Having fooled w/thermostats for nearly 40 years both in street & race Vettes, I've come to the conclusion that the stock 195F thermostat is fine for street and the 180F seems to work best for racing. YMMV; however, if you change your thermostat on a computer-controlled vehicle, make sure that you change the changeover point for closed loop so you don't run open loop all the time and waste fuel.
Corvette Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,794
Likes: 2,706
From: So. Cal.
2025 C7 of the Year Finalist- Unmodified
2024 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
