Pros and cons going from stock 192* thermostat to -> 180*?

[Pokageek]

Right now my car temps are always low no matter what * outside, traffic, whatever. It stays well below the half way point. At like a quarter ways.

This did not happen after installing my 180* t-stat however. .. It happened after I set the puter to turn the fans on at lower temps. Well...turns one fan on first unless it is real hot out. AND this is with H/C/I 306 on stock rad!

So.... If I go to 192* on my 408, will the car idle better than with 180*? Is the 180* putting the car in "warm-up" mode all the time? Going to a 192* tstat will that raise my overall operating temps?

 

[red89yj]

subscribing- my needle only goes to about 1/4 high if i stop at a light after getting off the highway between 70-80. otherwise its right on the first line always. I just got the car on 3-18 and I haven't even tore into it yet.

 

[HISSIN50]

MHO:

I'd want to be real sure of what actual operating temps were before changing out parts which could lead the car to run hotter. You can do a hidden gauge or one of those trick zillion-in-one gauges or something like that. That stocker is alright to see a trend but is just too useless to determine such a fine point as a 10* delta.

That said, the ECT readings from a 180 vs 192 stat should not effect much, especially the idle (that I can figure). The HEGO's 's light-off within 2 minutes and are a huge contributor to stoichiometry calculations. The O2's dont care what your ECT temps are - they just do their thing once they warm up.

I can't imagine how 180*F ECT readings would not generate full-hot-operating mode parameters in the computer, but this is something we'd want to hear from the dataloggers/tuners. The hottest ECT temp I've seen needed on a fox for hot-strategy was 178*F but that is useless info here.

Hmm, that didnt help much.

Good luck bud.

 

[Pokageek]

Ok. For some reason I thought you'd be in warmup mode with 180*. Thanks Hissin. No I am not sure what yuo just said but I am sure it will become clear, lol.

 

[trav_19]

my 93 i converted to a electric fan aftermarket radiator and im running a 160*stat and it stays cool and runs great....however the car is not a dd and it has no heat or a/c or anything so that stuff would affect going to low of a stat

 

[gcomfx.com]

I've run a 180* for 5 years or so. I run it year round. It just helps the car cool down faster without requiring the fan. Which as you all know our fans are terrible for burning stuff up. If I can cool down the engine without the fan, I'm all for it.

 

[Pokageek]

I've run a 180* for 5 years or so. I run it year round. It just helps the car cool down faster without requiring the fan. Which as you all know our fans are terrible for burning stuff up. If I can cool down the engine without the fan, I'm all for it.

Ahh. That makes sense. Thanks gcomfx.

 

[trav_19]

yes i agree a 180 stat seems like it would not be bad on a motor especially if im running a160 with no problems

 

[gcomfx.com]

I know it's not recommended, but I know a few people that don't run a t-stat during race season.

 

[red95gtconvert]

With a 180* thermostat I can run 9 months out of the year with my fan switched off unless the A/C is on, this may seem strange but ever since I installed my offroad H pipe my car runs considerably cooler.

 

[Pokageek]

With a 180* thermostat I can run 9 months out of the year with my fan switched off unless the A/C is on, this may seem strange but ever since I installed my offroad H pipe my car runs considerably cooler.

That's very interesting red95. I wonder if your cats were blocked or not right or whether not running cats is actually better for the car..

 

[HISSIN50]

When cats back up, it puts a ton of heat back into the engine bay. A new high-flow cat should not present any restriction over an O/R pipe on a fairly mild street car.

I'm jealous of the guys who don't need a cooling fan very often. Then again, it was over 90*F here today.

 

[Pokageek]

". A new high-flow cat should not present any restriction over an O/R pipe on a fairly mild street car."

Really? I want to put back the high flow cats b/c of noise aqnd stink but I was wondering if it will kill my 408's HP.

 

[gcomfx.com]

I'm jealous of the guys who don't need a cooling fan very often. Then again, it was over 90*F here today.

It's FFFFFFFFReezing here today. Yesterday it was 80* today it's 31*

 

[Green 94 5.0]

It's FFFFFFFFReezing here today. Yesterday it was 80* today it's 31*

it been a comfortable and sunny 77* here for most of the week.

 

[HISSIN50]

". A new high-flow cat should not present any restriction over an O/R pipe on a fairly mild street car."

Really? I want to put back the high flow cats b/c of noise aqnd stink but I was wondering if it will kill my 408's HP.

I don't know what your 408 is going to be like but if fairly mild, you should not have much of an issue. I'd contact your cat converter company of choice - they should have flow and backpressure figures for you. Once installed, you can use a backpressure gauge to note a pressure delta through the matrix.

Were it me, I'd even take a slight hit in flow if it meant no stink (I can't stand uncatted stench).
Good luck.

 

[WhiteDevil]

I would run the 180. ALso get a real temp gauge. The stock one sucks balls. I remember a few years ago before i had a temp gauge one day my stock gauge went up from the N-O area to the R-M area. I was all freaked out and thought something was wrong becuase the gauge allof a sudden was hotter. So i bought a gauge and guess what im right at 180-190 degrees. Stock gauge is junk. Oh and no it is not going to put you in warm up mode all the time.

 

[Pokageek]

Thanks guys.