Does anyone run a cooler thermostat in their car, or is this a waste of money?

 

Waste of money, can be detrimental in cooler climates.

 

This subject always brings a wealth of different opinions. I am still very confused as to the rationale for doing so. I will be the first to admit that i am no automotive engineer, but always believed that the thermostat controlled the temp at which coolant was introduced to the engine block and heads. So after you reach that set temp it is the cooling system (fans, radiator, water pump) that kept the temp within certain limits. With that understanding a cooler thermostat does not seem to equate to a reduction in run temp. But again I really dont know but have yet to hear a good explanation of why we should run a 160 vs 180 thermostat.

 

I also don't like the idea of changing the temperature these cars were designed to run at however I would like to reprogram my hi speed fan to come on earlier so my car would not heat up to 210 in stop and go traffic. All I need to do is turn the AC on and the temp goes back down to 190. Wonder why GM did not program the fans to do this?

 

High speed fan operation does not come on until coolant temp reaches 236.
Turning a/c on turns the fans on low speed, if coolant temp is above 185, and you are moving less than 35mph.

If you don't wish to alter the temps the cars were "designed to run at", then 210 shouldn't bother you at all. Even 230 is considered well within normal operating temps.

 

I do. It was easy to install and with a tune my car runs really cool

 

Waste of time unless you program the fans to turn on at lower temps.

 

It is a must for some of the tuners on the forum.....

 

To me, the cooler thermostat is an "old school" throwback which is still firmly stuck in a lot of people's minds. There is lots of evidence and execution these days that shows a hotter engine can make as much or more power.

Running a cooler stat in a stock engine is a waste of money and time to implement.

Running a cooler stat in a modified engine can either fix or mask (depending on point of view) problems a hotter engine is having.

Peter

 

Not everything that works for "racers" works for street cars...cars that don't operate at sustained high rpms.

A fan re-setting alone may be all that's needed.

But, you'll never convince everyone of that.

 

Ok I researched this when deciding weather to go with a 160* or not to go with one and after researching here is why I decided imo to go with a 160* with fan settings. If your not going to go with the fan settings reprogrammed from my research imo I would not go with a 160* thermostat as I think it would not help.

From my research imo the way I understand it and how a 160* stat helps with fan settings reprogrammed to come on earlier per below.

On hot days cars running wot running a stock thermostat in hot weather and high motor temps at times detonation/knock can occur at high rpms which leads to the knock sensors pulling timing which in turns leads to loss of power. When running the 160* w/fan settings chances of this happing are less. Lower motor and engine compartment temps I would also assume would mean possibily lower IATs.

The other positive if I understand my from my research is when running a 160* w/fan settings is you can run a little more timing in a 93 octane tune (= more power) due to the motor running cooler so if true is another positive. I have seen temps as high as 220+ on my DIC in hot weather but since having the 160* in w/fan settings the highest temps I have seen so far in 70 degree to lower 80’s weather is 195 coolant on my DIC. Will be interesting to see my temps in hotter weather this summer as the car is stored for the weather. If your going to drive your car in the cold winter months and have a 160* stat then I would switch back to the stock stat and fan settings for the winter.

Below is a good thread (link below) read the whole thread or you will miss some info. I also asked ECS their opinion on me running a 160* and ECS also recommended going to the 160* w/fan settings on my basically stock car with their 93 octane tune. The above is just my opinion from what I understood from my research and why I decided to go with a 160* stat.




http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...hermostat.html



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Actually this hasn't been shown to be true. Stock C5s running on a track at WOT for 20 to 30 minutes have coolant temps around 230 and oil temps around 300 degrees. They don't experience detonation or a reduction in power. You can compare lap times from engines that are just getting into the 200 degree range Vs the 230 and they are equivalent. Even when somebody puts in a 160 stat and lowers the fan settings the car will still run at the 230 temp so the stat does no good. As for sitting in traffic who cares whether the PCM pulls timing? You aren't going anyplace and you sure aren't running at WOT.

Bill

 

You can also easily modify a stock thermostat to run 10-15 degrees cooler.

vettenuts posted a great write-up on the stock thermostat mod.

 

Bill this is what I have read you can check the link I posted by Evil Twin on the timing being pulled esp if running 91 octane. I also have read guys saying that thier temps were around 200-210 degrees after the install of the 160* with fan settings where before they were around 230* before the switch. Just for the reord Bill I am talking about on the street or 1/4 track not going 20-30 minutes at wot per your post. I will know this summer first hand with my car if this is true. If I run 230 then I will agree with you on this and will post it as fact if I don't then I will know its true about lower temps and the stat with fan settings help with coolant temps.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...necessary.html


See quote and the link below is of someone seeing timing being pulled on a basically stock C5 in the upper rpms it was on a dyno so it wasn't on the road but it does show timing being pulled on a stock C5 running a stock stat. I think I might call ECS and ask specifly if they have seen timing being pulled in hot weather on a stock C5 wot on the road data logging and if they have that would be proof.


http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...my-rwhp-2.html

Bill my research that I have read differs what what you are posting (not saying I am right or wrong or that you are right or wrong ) and is what I have researched and what I based my opinion/decision on when deciding to go with with a 160* with fan settings.

 

Its rare to see this subject posted at this time of the year. In June and July you will find a post every other day on the thermostat/ high temp question.. There are hundreds of threads for you to read through if you do a search. I have reprogrammed fans that come on earlier.. I also use the stock thermostat in the cooler months and then a 160 degree stat in the brutal Texas heat Summer months.. If you live up north it may not be such a big deal.. Again.. these engines were designed to run hotter, so a lot of us old school folks and first time c5 owners panic when the temp climbs to 230 at a stop light in 100 degree weather

 

Got to admit when I see the temp get to 220 I do get worried and immediately switch on the AC to turn the fans on and cool it down. I am thinking I may just reprogram the fans to come on earlier to ease my mind.

 

I was nervous for a while, since i let the vert idle,i have seen the temp go up to 220, glad that now i know that the temp wont harm anything, am i right?

 

I recollect from Thermodynamics that the hotter the engine (greater differential between the engine temp and the ambient temp)
the more efficient it will be. Of course that's the theory. There are so many factors that reduce the ideal efficiency that it probably doesn't matter in the long run.

Why in the Grand National do they cool the gas going into the injectors to get more power? I noticed w/the turbo more power at lower outside temps (like 20 degrees F). I think it has to do with the increased density of oxygen in the air at lower temps.

 

Will not hurt it a bit.

Bill

 

I had Turbo T/A with the buick V6, and you could definately tell the difference between a 60* day and a 90* day. You're absolutely correct...cooler air has more O2, which means it allows for more fuel to burn, and thus creates more HP.