Is it worth it to install a 160* thermostat over the oem 186* on a HP tuned C6?

If so, how much hp & torque? And how about driveability in sunny Fla.?

Thanks, Dewman

 

No power increase, Per say, Just allows the cooling system to start off cooler and stay cooler longer
which is when the cooler op temps allow more timing thus more power in that way. Do it!

 

More timing, maybe more power, less thermal efficiency= power loss.

 

Consistent test results over time show that temperature peak temps are lowered, thus reducing or eliminating the power losses resulting from the ECM pulling timing. At the track, this can result in a 2-3 tenths difference.

In normal driving on the street, it's possible there might be a slight loss in thermal efficiency and power. However, very shortly after a WOT burst, the coolant temps shoot up, and the cooler thermo will keep the temps under control.

Many guys have posted on this forum that their coolant temps get over 200 degrees in everyday driving, just sitting at a stoplight. With a 160 degree Lingenfelter thermo, my street temps are always right at 178 to 180 degrees.

Thermal efficiency? My C6 A6 averages 30 to 31 MPG on long trips, cruise set at 72 MPH. Oil temps still get up to around 200 degrees.

Yes, it is not only a worthwhile mod, it's probably the best mod for the money out there.

 

As all the others have said.. it would also be wise to have a tuner set your fan settings to come on at lower temps and at higher speeds.. I very seldom see the top side of 200...

 

 

Thermo dynamics are a fact. True, you can run more timing on a colder engine. Because these engines have such a high compression ratio the engine computer is very intrusive in order to prevent any detonation once a predetermined temp is reach. The power loss associated with that has nothing to do with the higher temp, but with the engine computer retarding timing (factory settings are designed to handle only 91 octane). The colder thermostat just keeps you a little further away from that intrusiveness.

But if octane wasn't a concern you'd be significantly faster with a very hot running engine with optimum timing that wasn't retarded by the computer when the temps got hot.

 

If...........

 

One more thing, the thermostat rating only determines the initial opening of the thermostat, not the ultimate operating temp of the engine. That is a function of the radiator and cooling fan settings. You can set you fans to be more aggressive and still keep the stock thermostat. An engine running at 198* is more efficient (powerful) than one that is running at 160*. If cold thermostats were the be-all, GM would install them for you. They aren't, and in fact the opposite is true as they run has hot an engine they can within the confines of safety and fuel octane at the pump in order to maximize the engines efficiency.

 

That is not borne out on the track. I can turn a faster time when my
water temps are at 160-175 than at 200. I got logs and time slips to prove it. Thus you will find many C6 drag racers manually turn on the fan via HP Tuner or other means while staging etc. to cool down their temps, along with changing their fan settings.

 

The laws of thermodynamics don't change, even for the corvette forum or LSx engines.

A hotter engine is more efficient regardless of what your personal experience might be. My personal experience happens to be the opposite of yours and I have track time slips too. I suspect, among other reasons, your car isn't tuned for a warmer engine temp.

 

Why should I tune my car for your Phoenix desert hot heat? I suspect if you went to Atco today, even with your warm engine tune, you would be very pleased setting extreme new personal bests with your engine running at cooler water temps with a 160 T-stat than in Phoenix. Not withstanding DA of course!

 

 

I took Thermodynamics when I was in college, so I understand just a little bit about it, and I still have the book for reference. Your statement here is completely wrong, so you need to be careful of what you say to not mis-inform the readers. There are way too many factors to consider when analyzing combustion engines for efficiency, and today's "piston" engines seem to be more efficient when they are running between 180 and 200. Again, the number of factors in the equations are too great in mathematical accounting to make a simplified statement as you have.....therefore, experience must prevail to observe the consistant results.

 

I couldn't have said it better myself

 

The car that kicked your a$$ at the track had a 160 * stat............

 

Lots of opinions but there is a blatent fact about the computer's roll in the equation. Its a sunny day in florida and your underhood temps combine with outside temps to make your average IAT's measured by the sensor sitting on top of your upper radiator hose is seeing 131 degrees. The computer instructs the timing to be pulled as per the following factual table from a tuned car. Stock tables actually have varying amounts of timing pulled but always more at higher temps so take this with a grain of salt.....higher IAT's always mean higher amounts of timing pulled.:

It pulls 9 degrees.....quite literally 30+HP.

Now the same guy who doesnt think the thermal efficiency given up is more than a HP or two does the smart thing and gets a thermostat that opens 20 degrees lower and gets his IAT's down to 113 because his upper radiator hose is cooler by 20 degrees. I see 178 or so and not 195+ with the stocker now. So now the IAT table instructs the car to only pull 4 degrees. The ambient temps are 90 on this day so the car isnt ingesting 113 degree air and its fine. So what does 5 degrees do in a tune? I saw 2 degrees make 6hp and 11rwtq last week on the dyno.

So tell me, which is better? An engine running at 178 degrees with 4 degrees pulled or one running at 195 with 11 degrees pulled.

Get the 160 stat.

 

Well put Spin. I would also like to add that with a 160 thermostat, you are not going to run 160 or even close. Most on this forum report between 175-185 running down the highway at 60ish, on a 80degree day. You do not have to worry about the engine running too cold. My car runs 178 on your average day. I would also like to add that my oil temp (what I monitor on the DIC) dropped from 205-208 to around 202 post thermostat install. Last fall I ran the car at 35 degrees OAT and the water temp was still 175..

 

I also have the time slips to prove the effects of high coolant temps. Back when I had the GTO and did some hot lapping or 10-15min cooldowns I would trap 101-102mph (coolant temp well over 200 degrees)..........that was an LS2 based car! I was a little more then pissed. let the car sit for an hour....1st car at the stagging lines, coolant temp in the 180-190 range before the run, trapped 107mph.

The lower coolant temp will help keep the car more consistent. picking up 6mph in the 1/4 by just letting it cool off showed me how much power could be lost when heat effects the engine.

 

So what about those who use a 180*? Is that helpful or a waste of time? I know there are a lot of folks with a 180 and some tuners who install them.