stat question
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 72
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From: Jersey City New Jersey
stat question
If I were to install a 180 or 160 degree thermostat, is it safe to drive daily, will this cause the fans to be over worked and burn out. I drive my corvette very often not just a track car so I want to know if these can be used for everyday driving and driving over a long distance.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,611
Likes: 5
From: Thousand Oaks California
I recommend the 195 degree thermostat.
Installing a lower temperature thermostat will not affect the duty cycle of the cooling fan (assuming the ECM calibration is not changed).
Installing a lower temperature thermostat will cause the thermostat to open at lower coolant temperatures, but once it is open, it will normally just stay open.
Installing a lower temperature thermostat will not affect the duty cycle of the cooling fan (assuming the ECM calibration is not changed).
Installing a lower temperature thermostat will cause the thermostat to open at lower coolant temperatures, but once it is open, it will normally just stay open.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,610
Likes: 12
My tuner installed the 180° stat in my '05 A4 and tuned accordingly. He is of the opinion that the 160° stat is too cold and a bad idea for a street car (DD.) I have seen at least one person who had a 160° stat change to 180 because of warm-up issues. (Note: I am not saying that all cars with 160° stats will have warm-up issues.)
I've had no problems and my driving temps stay between 180° and 200° unless the air temp is extremely high, then they may get as high as 220° which is fine. The reason for the low-temp stat is because I have 3.73 gears and a high-stall torque converter. I also swaped-out the GM A4 for a custom built A4 and added a cooler. The low-temp stat was just one more precaution.
IMO there needs to be a reason to change stats from the OEM, or what's the point?
I've had no problems and my driving temps stay between 180° and 200° unless the air temp is extremely high, then they may get as high as 220° which is fine. The reason for the low-temp stat is because I have 3.73 gears and a high-stall torque converter. I also swaped-out the GM A4 for a custom built A4 and added a cooler. The low-temp stat was just one more precaution.
IMO there needs to be a reason to change stats from the OEM, or what's the point?
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 5
From: Ambler Pa.
160 stat
If I were to install a 180 or 160 degree thermostat, is it safe to drive daily, will this cause the fans to be over worked and burn out. I drive my corvette very often not just a track car so I want to know if these can be used for everyday driving and driving over a long distance.
thermostat you run. Bear in mind all major performance engine builders use and or recommend 160 stats. It is beneficial to reprogram you cooling fan temps, however it is not necessary.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5,578
Likes: 61
From: Austin TX
Colder thermostats and a colder running engine make LESS power than a hotter running engine. The laws of thermodynamics are fact. A colder running engine and it's colder combustion chamber act like a heat sink by leaching heat energy from the combustion process. The reason you see some tuners use them is it's an attempt to get around some of the ecm's intrusiveness (where timing is retarded at hotter temps to avoid detonation due to the very high stock compression ratio) and to be able to safely run more timing without having to use higher octane fuel.
