Does the 160 thermstat help or not?
Administrator
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 66,409
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From: Bel Air (by way of Fort Worth, TX) Maryland
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '21
No doubt re-programming the fans and changing to a 160 tstat will make the car run cooler, however, on a stock motor, what is the point? The car stock, was designed to run at the temp with the stock t-stat and fan settings. I doubt you are going to pick up HP or get better times at the track with changing the T-stat.. that is my opinion, and also what most tuners have told me.
Again....When you modify for more HP, you are going to increase operating temps beyond the stock programming and the stock t-stats ability to handle (Supercharger, H/C swap) so you HAVE to have the t-stat open at a lower temp along with changing the stock programming to keep things running smoothly. A t-stat on an otherwise stock motor, even with fans reprogrammed doesn't do much HP wise, but is very necessary when you have power adders that change the operating temp of the engine.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,661
Likes: 67
From: Ocean Springs MS
Again....When you modify for more HP, you are going to increase operating temps beyond the stock programming and the stock t-stats ability to handle (Supercharger, H/C swap) so you HAVE to have the t-stat open at a lower temp along with changing the stock programming to keep things running smoothly. A t-stat on an otherwise stock motor, even with fans reprogrammed doesn't do much HP wise, but is very necessary when you have power adders that change the operating temp of the engine.
As far as I know, the only reason tuners like low temp stats, with fan programming, is they can program in more timing without worrying about retarding from the knock sensors at the lower operating temps. If you add enough mods to significantly increase the heat load on the engine, it's time for a DeWitts or BeCool radiator, not a thermostat.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
In traffic it might lower the temps but so what? Any power increase you get you won't be able to use anyways. It doesn't show up at 2 or 3K rpms (you won't be revving to 5K+). On the highway the fans shut down at 35mph so they don't block air flow through the radiator which is faster than the fans run. On the highway even a modded car will run at the stock thermostat setting with no problems. If you track the car after about 15 minutes of WOT running the temps will run about 230 degrees no matter what thermostat you have in the car as the cooling system is limited to how much heat it can remove over a certain period of time. The tuners make their measurements on a dyno where power pulls are only a few seconds long. As soon as you start talking about running hard for 20 or 25 minutes at a time the answers most of them give are mumbled.
Bill
Bill
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 753
Likes: 2
From: Denville NJ
Thanks everyone for the comments. It seems universal that the opinions are; that unless the fans are reprogrammed, the lower temp. thermo. will not really improve the running temp., right?
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,518
Likes: 37
Not true. At speeds greater than 35mph or so the fans would not be relevant. So a change of thermostat even with NO change in fan tuning does help. You asked for people with first hand knowledge and I'll report. With stock on freeway my car held 192-194 most of the time. With 160 degree stat it holds at 172-174 most of the time. (That is highway with fans off because not needed.)
I did reprogram my fans and at idle it can get to 185 or so. Haven't had much real warm weather yet here to see what temps would be with warmer air outside.
Your car at running temp cannot be below 190 or so stock at any speed and that is a fact. Because the stat closes below that and the engine heats up with no radiator circulation. With the 160 degree stat you have a chance to get lower temps because it opens at 160 and whether fans or just speed goes through the radiator it has a chance to go lower.
Stat change does lower the running temp of the car no question. Next question is whether it makes any difference to lower the temps.
