160
180 T'stat help, please
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,651
Likes: 125
From: laguna niguel ca
Why 180
The factory temp stat is 186.6 degrees. Why get one 8 degrees cooler.
I'm running a 160 as I've run in all my LS type motors, and the car runs on the highway between 178-183 degrees. With tunning which cycles the fans by % at different temps in C6's, the car runs in town in the 178-190 range depending how long you spend at a traffic light. Even when stuck in heavy traffic it never goes over 203 before it starts down. So In my opinion you gain nothing with a 180. Maybe that's why you can't find them. BTW the best tunners in the country for these motors all use 160 stats. Humm, wounder why????
andreas g.
I'm running a 160 as I've run in all my LS type motors, and the car runs on the highway between 178-183 degrees. With tunning which cycles the fans by % at different temps in C6's, the car runs in town in the 178-190 range depending how long you spend at a traffic light. Even when stuck in heavy traffic it never goes over 203 before it starts down. So In my opinion you gain nothing with a 180. Maybe that's why you can't find them. BTW the best tunners in the country for these motors all use 160 stats. Humm, wounder why????
andreas g.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,398
Likes: 2
From: Allentown PA
Most people forget that thermostat temperature ratings are for the coolest temperature it will open. A 160 stat will run barely any cooler if the fans do not come on earlier than stock.
The temperature rating is the coolest your engine will run, not the warmest, most people do not undetstand this.
The temperature rating is the coolest your engine will run, not the warmest, most people do not undetstand this.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,651
Likes: 125
From: laguna niguel ca
oil temps
With a 160 stat on the highway the oil temps run 199-203 degrees. In city driving they range between 199-214 degrees. Both these temps are plenty hot enough to keep your motor clean. I went through an LS1 motor at 60,000 miles and it was clean like new inside. Ran a 160 stat its' entire life.