160 degree stat question
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Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16
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From: Jonesboro AR
160 degree stat question
Since I have the intake off, should I go ahead and change the termostat out to a 160 degree, on my 87? Is there anything else I will have to do if I do this?
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
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From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: 160 degree stat question (jdevette1)
Sure:
-move the MAT from under the rear of the plenum into the air filter box
-do the TB coolant bypass
-clean & port the plenum while it's off
-move the MAT from under the rear of the plenum into the air filter box
-do the TB coolant bypass
-clean & port the plenum while it's off
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 72
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From: Boynton Beach Fl
Re: 160 degree stat question (jdevette1)
I have a 160 in my 85 and it has run always in the area of 180 - 200. Never higher. Also used 40 below and distilled water. Some fellow vetters will not agree with the 160, but it works for me. :thumbs:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,858
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Re: 160 degree stat question (jfb)
Why do you want to put a 160 stat in your 87? GM says it should be 195.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Chico CA
Re: 160 degree stat question (jdevette1)
*Newbie Alert*
94 LT1 here. sorry, what exactly does a 160 and 180 thermostat do? can someone explain it to me? what's in my car now? I live in northern Cali, and it's gonna be freaking hot here once summer hits, I need some ways to keep the car running cooler, right now on warm 80-85 degree days, the coolant temp gets up to 230 sometimes. Can't imagine what 105+ days are gonna be like.
94 LT1 here. sorry, what exactly does a 160 and 180 thermostat do? can someone explain it to me? what's in my car now? I live in northern Cali, and it's gonna be freaking hot here once summer hits, I need some ways to keep the car running cooler, right now on warm 80-85 degree days, the coolant temp gets up to 230 sometimes. Can't imagine what 105+ days are gonna be like.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Costa Mesa CA
Re: 160 degree stat question (jdevette1)
I live in CA. The shop that rebuilt my engine put a 160 degree stat in as standard procedure. I don't know if that would be the best choice for all states however. I run without a stat now but again this is in California.
BIG JIM
BIG JIM
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Chico CA
Re: 160 degree stat question (mikesvette)
A 160 or 180 Thermostat opens at 160 or 180 degrees and helps keep your Vette running cooler.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: harvest al
Re: 160 degree stat question (Renegade21)
I had a 160 in my 95 LT1 and it does help keep the temps down. Still does nothing to limit the upper end unless you mess with the fan cut -on temps. There's also a school of thought that running too low temps allows moisture build up that can be damaging. The car needs time at 185 or better to keep that gets burned off. Choose you own poison. The other thing is too make sure the front side of your radiator is clean. The design allows for all sorts of junk to get sucked in there. You have to remove the shroud on top to get at it and that's a chore.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 285
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From: Loganville Ga
Re: 160 degree stat question (jdevette1)
If you get the cooler thermostat, you will also want to get a chip to turn the fans on sooner or at least a fan switch so you can do it manually. Just changing the thermostat will only prolong the time it takes to get to 220 degrees.
:chevy
:chevy
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
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From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: 160 degree stat question (purplemajesty)
Hey LR...I just love it.... :beatdeadhorse:
Anyway, here we go:
-running with no stat is bad as it takes longer for the ECM to go closed loop
-running a 160 deg stat still warms up as fast as stock but cruizes at the lower temp which means more power (time slips show it). To maintain close to 160deg around town requires one of these, 1) a new chip, 2) an aux fan switch, 3) a manual fan switch.
-run a quality motor oil, change it at 3mo intervals and never look back.
-clean debris from between the A/C condensor and the radiator to help maintain low coolant temps.
-even in 10 deg weather in SE NY I get plenty of heat with my 160deg stat
-my '88 easily passes the OH dyno emissions testing with the 160deg stat
Bottom line
-if you want to feel more power from your EFI SBC, install the 160deg stat & fan switch (chip, etc)
-yes it is fairly easy to do
-AutoZone has the stat & Summit has the HyperTech aux fan switch
Anyway, here we go:
-running with no stat is bad as it takes longer for the ECM to go closed loop
-running a 160 deg stat still warms up as fast as stock but cruizes at the lower temp which means more power (time slips show it). To maintain close to 160deg around town requires one of these, 1) a new chip, 2) an aux fan switch, 3) a manual fan switch.
-run a quality motor oil, change it at 3mo intervals and never look back.
-clean debris from between the A/C condensor and the radiator to help maintain low coolant temps.
-even in 10 deg weather in SE NY I get plenty of heat with my 160deg stat
-my '88 easily passes the OH dyno emissions testing with the 160deg stat
Bottom line
-if you want to feel more power from your EFI SBC, install the 160deg stat & fan switch (chip, etc)
-yes it is fairly easy to do
-AutoZone has the stat & Summit has the HyperTech aux fan switch
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Re: 160 degree stat question (jdevette1)
Is there anything else I will have to do if I do this?
AGAIN. More briefly this time, maybe. Once the stat opens, it has no control over the engine operationg temperature. Except for racing where you cool it down between rounds, a 160 stat is too cool. If the engine really runs that cool, it isn't warm enough for daily use. If it runs hotter (likely) the too cool stat only serves to delay the warm up time. If you have a day to spend, research this topic.
That :beatdeadhorse: horse ain't dead yet!
RACE ON!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,049
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From: Texas
Re: 160 degree stat question (CFI-EFI)
I have a 160 stat as well as an electric water pump. My LT1 Vette NEVER sees under 180 degrees. But as soon as it starts to get hot, it cools off extremely fast and shoots down to like 190 or so. Probably averages right at 200. I also ran a 160 stat in my LT1 T/A and had zero issues along with programming for the fans. The T/A averaged around 180-190 degrees all day long. We also run a 160 stat in our LT1 Z28 with programming from PCMforless for the fans, no issues at all, car doesn't go down to 160 degrees. It stays consistently about 15 degrees cooler than it used to, but never goes too far down.
Not a single one of these cars takes longer to warm up than they did previously, and I've even sat there and watched the coolant digital display on days when my car was covered in snow.
Might contradict what others have shown, but that's first hand experience in my book. I say go with a 160 or a 180, your choice, either will be fine.
[edit] btw, vette has no programming for fans and before stat and water pump used to get EXTREMELY hot in the Texas heat this past summer
[Modified by BowTieBlood, 3:33 PM 4/2/2004]
Not a single one of these cars takes longer to warm up than they did previously, and I've even sat there and watched the coolant digital display on days when my car was covered in snow.
Might contradict what others have shown, but that's first hand experience in my book. I say go with a 160 or a 180, your choice, either will be fine.
[edit] btw, vette has no programming for fans and before stat and water pump used to get EXTREMELY hot in the Texas heat this past summer
[Modified by BowTieBlood, 3:33 PM 4/2/2004]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,858
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Re: 160 degree stat question (BowTieBlood)
There is in fact something about the *design* of the Hypertech 160 stat that causes the engine to run cooler once the stat is fully open than when a 180 stat is fully open. This has to be a design issue, most likely flow related, and dwell time in the radiator of the coolant. Otherwise with each stat in the full open position the coolant temp should be the same with either 160 Hypertech or 180 OEM (Stant). But that does not apepar to be the case.
Last summer when I ran a 160 Hyptertech stat, if I would have the car cruising on the road for any length of time the coolant temp would drop to around 184 - 186 and stay there until I slowed down and ended up in traffic or stopped. With the Stant 180 stat installed it does not drop below 194 when cruising, which is the same as it did with the old factory original stat.
So I'm going to put in a Hypertech 180 stat pretty soon and see how that does. If the flow design is same as their 160 it should be the best of both worlds. Has to be the same physical design really, just a different wax pellet.
[Modified by Lone Ranger, 4:05 PM 4/2/2004]
Last summer when I ran a 160 Hyptertech stat, if I would have the car cruising on the road for any length of time the coolant temp would drop to around 184 - 186 and stay there until I slowed down and ended up in traffic or stopped. With the Stant 180 stat installed it does not drop below 194 when cruising, which is the same as it did with the old factory original stat.
So I'm going to put in a Hypertech 180 stat pretty soon and see how that does. If the flow design is same as their 160 it should be the best of both worlds. Has to be the same physical design really, just a different wax pellet.
[Modified by Lone Ranger, 4:05 PM 4/2/2004]
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: 160 degree stat question (Lone Ranger)
My coolant temps behave similarly, above about 75deg F coolant temp will rise till in 95deg F weather she will run around 175deg F on the highway and maybe 180-185deg F in traffic. So the 160deg F stat doesn't "help" in summer but it doesn't "hurt" either.
Fortunately we only have 3mo or so of such high temps here in SE NY; the rest of the year she cruizes around 155-160deg F.
I agree that the "system" was designed around ~200deg F so it's tough to get it realy cool in the summer. I wonder if a larger radiator would do the trick or if flow within the engine is the design limiting factor.
Fortunately we only have 3mo or so of such high temps here in SE NY; the rest of the year she cruizes around 155-160deg F.
I agree that the "system" was designed around ~200deg F so it's tough to get it realy cool in the summer. I wonder if a larger radiator would do the trick or if flow within the engine is the design limiting factor.
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Re: 160 degree stat question (jdevette1)
Since I have the intake off, should I go ahead and change the termostat out to a 160 degree, on my 87? Is there anything else I will have to do if I do this?
160 is ok in hot weather but in winter temps below 50 degrees I could not get engine temps above 150 and sometimes they were down to 139.
I am a firm believer that heat kilss, but I also believe you have to get everything warmed up.
I went back to 180. IMHO, keep the radiator clean, install the lower temp fan switch and you will be fine.
Car ran like crap with 160 in winter and still ran 170 to 180 in summer. I can do that with the 180 year round!
:seeya
:steering: