Will a cold engine do this?

[CManT1914]

Since I switched out my t-stat the other day, the stang has been running REAL cool, like below the "N" cool. Well tonight it was the coldest night we've had yet, in the 30's, and I was cruising at 65 when I noticed that the temp was below the NORMAL range, and when I would accelerate it backfired and sputtered. When I pushed in the clutch, the RPM's dropped real fast, like they do when the engine is to cold. Is that all there is to it? Just that the 180* t-stat won't let the engine warm up enough? I'm gonna switch it back to stock tomorrow and see what happens, but lemme know if you know something I don't.

 

[wyominghotwheel]

it is possible.......after you installed the stat, did you bump up your timing at all? You should play around with your timing and see what happens............hotwheels of turborides

 

[CManT1914]

Well I changed my thermostat at the same time as I swapped my intake. So I took the distributor completely out, but I marked everything so it went in the same way it came out. It's still set to stock timing. I might mess with my timing since it's getting colder, but I am DEFINITELY switching back to the 192* t-stat for now.

 

[_jb_]

When I installed my three-core radiator, I put a 180* therm. in it at the same time. Back in the summer, at times I would notice my temp guage would be like yours, below the "Normal" lettering. I wouldn't worry to much about it. Hook up a real guage and see what happens.

 

[Funanin]

not t-stat... i have a 160 in mine with a 3 core aluminum, and mine gets up to normal temp within about 10 mins of idle. If i get on it tho it will go up past 160, but no higher than 190 EVER. Which helps when really gettin on it for a long time. Anyway, i also did my intake and took my distributor out, and when i put it back in it was off by a cam gear notch or two and it did the same thing by backfiring and sputtering, so make sure u have it in right.

 

[CManT1914]

It's all good, I switched back to the 192* t-stat and it runs fine now. I guess I gotta take it outta my sig now. lol

 

[Michael Yount]

Did you set the timing with a light?

Mine runs a 180F t'stat - 29F this morning and it fired right up and settled into it's normal idle. It runs at 180-185F with completely normal drivability just as you'd expect with that t'stat.

Glad that you solved it by switching back, but the 180F t'stat is used by thousands (if not tens of thousands) with no ill effects.

 

[5spd GT]

I run a 180 T-stat with a Griffin Radiator...cooled my car down a LOT at cruising speeds compared to the stock radiator...with the colder weather (30-40*) here lately my temp guage bar sits on the "L" in N O R M A L...if you look at the guage that is pretty low and I don't have any ill effects that I can tell...

Oh and before the 180* t-stat and 31x19 Griffin Radiator the temp guage bar set above the "R" in N O R M A L...and at the same time I added more power (h/c/i) and still got the 3 letter drop

 

[CManT1914]

Did you set the timing with a light?

Glad that you solved it by switching back, but the 180F t'stat is used by thousands (if not tens of thousands) with no ill effects.

Yea I set it. It hadn't changed anyway.

A lot are able to bump their timing, but for some reason mine doesn't like it advanced more than stock. Just a quirk of the stang I live with. lol, thanks all