I see them advertised all over the place. The car comes stock with a 190 degree, is there a good reason to replace it with a 160? Is it only something you need for Forced Induction, or does it help prevent a problem? I know there has been issues with the 7 and 8 cyls getting too hot, wondering if this is the easy fix for that?
I am new to vette ownership and looking to prevent as many problems as I can.
Thank you

Kevin

 

Looking for some answers on this too, I am on the fence about replacing mine...

 

i'd stick with the stock thermostat... you can manipulate the fan settings to run the car a little cooler when you have it tuned but running it too cool has negative effects just as running it too hot... running it too cool for long periods of time actually increases engine wear and if it doesn't run warm enough the condensation inside the crankcase will not evaporate... installing a 160 thermostat will only make it run cooler while driving, when the car is idling the temp will go back up to the 220 degree range so it's kind of a waste of money imo

 

How can you make it run a little cooler?

 

unless you program the computer for the fans to come on..the 160 won't do anythign at all for you, expect take longer to reach operating temps
About T'stats running low temps:

T'stats limit low temp,
Radiators limit high temp.
The engine establishes a certain temperature equipibrium which has more to do with the radiator than the T'stat.
The T'stat just helps it warm up faster.
T'stats do not establish operating temperature, unless the ambient temp is suffeciently COLD.
T'stats start to open at their rated temp.
They open FULLY 10-20 above that.
Next to belts and hoses, T'stats have a high failure rate.
Most T'stats are cheaply made.
T'stats fail in the "closed" position. (bad bad!)
T'stats also do not close at the same rate they open. (Boil one with a thermometer on the kitchen stove and check it out.)

Water soluble products start to boil off oil at 180 and this is vital. For effeciency the motor should run right at 180-190. Look at a fuel map. This is not just water temp, but oil temp. HOWEVER, if there is GOOD synthetic oil used, and the engine is in good shape, and the oil IS changed frequently, there is little water product from the blow-by, and collecting in the oil to worry about. Thus running a 160 T'stat, which is where the thermostat OPENS at, and is fully open from 10-20 degrees above that, places you closer to an ideal operating temp - but only in warm ambient weather (!!!). In the winter, you may hold temps right down at 160 at worst. And don't forget, you are also battling the large oil cooler. Personally? I run from 160-190. In my cars that do not have a thermostat, they find their "operating equilibrium" usually above 160 anyway. Lastly, I have never seen water damage resulting from a low temp T'stat.

All the above assumes operating equilibrium of the engine / radiator combination is close to the T'stat temp opening area. It is usually higher. Different conditions for stressful conditions, other modifications, engine condition, etc etc. Adjusting fans is a different matter, but just as important.
taken from kelp off the Z06 vette forums
http://www.z06vette.com/forums/f64/1...rmostat-98503/

 

I could never understand a Corvette owner's paranoia about coolant temps creeping into the 220 range when we're chugging along in a construction site, or the occasional spirited burst we all like to do from time to time. I ran a 3 day HPDE last weekend at NJMP and on Friday the ambient temp was high 80s maybe 90. My coolant temp hit 240 and stayed there during a 25 minute session. The car didn't blow up or melt. Now with that in mind, I will ask other Corvette track junkies their opinion as to what temp stat should be used. But unless your seriously tracking your car, makes no sense to me to put a 160 stat in.

 

mine in stop light to stop light with traffic i will reach 230 very easily..but once i get moving i will go back down to 185 to 190 very quickly..

 

I just look at it this way. Why would an automotive engineer not put a 160 degree t stat in from the factory? Lower temp t stat is all hype

 

reason for stock thermostat from factory is EMMISSIONS and nothing less or more, 160 run with mods = MORE horsepower....plain and simple, all the old big block hi-po cars ran 160 a driver should stay stock, modified 160....my 2 cents on subject

 

Thank you everyone. I was pretty much thinking the samething, stay the way GM planned it to be. Even in traffic I have never seen my coolant temp go above like 205 or somewhere in that area. I was not worried about it, as I am sure it can handle that just fine. It just seems strange I keep seeing 160 stats so had to ask if there was a legitimate reason for that. As of right now I have no mods and I plan to keep it that way. Stock car is faster than I need for just street driving, with an occasional spirited launch. In my eyes 0-60 in 4 seconds means at 4.5 seconds I am way over any speed limit in Fla. If I want to go that fast I will just wait till I go back to work, since I fly Learjets.
Car is tons of fun to drive and nice to have finally made it to a childhood dream.
Thank you everyone for confirming my original thoughts.

 

Search this forum and you will find there are flaws in your facts.

 

IIRC the Ideal temp for max HP is in the 190-205 range deepening on humidity for Coolent temp with 200 to 220 oil temp

160 is for parking lot queens that never run hard.

 

It's really hard to take what you're saying for fact when you:

1. Don't back up anything you say with facts.
2. Can't spell

Seriously, would you trust a science book that doesn't use proper grammar or spelling? Maybe you would...I don't know...

 

Seems I have read that 160-170 temp. is best for max power.

I had my LT1 C4 changed to a 160 and fans come on earlier when I did my heads/cam/ headers etc. Before it ran around 206-212, and up to 22x when stoped (quickly). After changing, it runs at 180-183 all day in hotest weather. I have only had it get up to 200 plus once, last yr in stop and go traffic for 30 mins. in 100+ F and high humidity, and it took a while to get it there. It does take a few more minutes in winter to warm up, and runs rougher until then, but it is only a few minutes.

 

 

If that's true then why does a reputable company like LG Motorsports sell a 160 degree thermostat with every power package offered on their website?

 

 

great when I need a new personal assistant I will take your application.

Besides Scientists spell it "SCEINCE" They cant spell worth a darn

here you go. what REAL temps are when road raced
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...d-atlanta.html

you think a 160 t -stat will help?

 

A 160 stat is useless unless you have the computer tuned to turn on the fans at a lower temp or else the fans will just wait until the temp gets to where OEM limit is set. On a stock engine, it should be left stock.

If you have modifications or higher compression, that will naturally bring temperatures up. Installing a lower opening temp stat will help as long as the fans are programmed to turn on at lower temps also.

I run a 160 stat. My running temps are around 174-181. In sitting traffic, the fans come on about 205 degrees. The car runs perfectly and gets as high as 29 mpg/hwy I like it that way and there are no ill effects.

 

One thing to remember is that these cars were not built for maximum horsepower, or maximum efficiency or anything. It was a melding of marketing, engineers, lawyers, and workers to try and decide the best way to make everything. Compromises had to be made everywhere. The best example of this in GM is in the C3 vettes when they had to drop to retarded timing, lower compression, and higher operating temps to meet emissions standards back in the mid 70s. I get a big kick out of people that say leave the car the way GM intended and then go on to put aftermarket exhausts, tires, suspension etc.