Thermostat

[NP_00'T/A]

Which one should I get ? It is a daily driver and I do use it in the winter...


so... 160 or 180 degree ? pros and cons of both ?

[foff667]

i always get 160*'s whever possible...the only downside to 160*'s is in the winter the car might not warm up very quickly meaning no heater for 10 or so minutes. Tuning is usually smart though otheriwse your stock fans dont come on till 226*

[qwikz28]

i would replace it anyways... my stock thermostat used to get sticky and not open sometimes

[NP_00'T/A]

Yea I was planning on getting a tune after I get the car inspected in June sicne my warranty is up( and I want to add a few more goodies before tune), and I plan on ordering the manual switch for the fans for when i'm at the track.

[foff667]

Originally Posted by NP_00'T/A

Yea I was planning on getting a tune after I get the car inspected in June sicne my warranty is up( and I want to add a few more goodies before tune), and I plan on ordering the manual switch for the fans for when i'm at the track.

fwiw you can set the fans to stay on for a set amount of time after the car is shut off or until it reaches a certain temp or a combination of both

[Savage_Messiah]

160*. I run mine year round and yea, gotta wait a little bit for heat in the winter but no big deal IMO.

[98tadriver]

Hey, isnt your car missing some of its interior?? Why worry about heat? lol
My third gen had a 160 in it, heat always worked good. just have your fans programmed to come on at a higher temp in winter, if they even come on at all that is.

[foff667]

Originally Posted by 98tadriver

Hey, isnt your car missing some of its interior?? Why worry about heat? lol
My third gen had a 160 in it, heat always worked good. just have your fans programmed to come on at a higher temp in winter, if they even come on at all that is.

it really wouldnt matter...most tuners set the fans to come on at 175ish with a 160 thermo...175 is more then enough to get decent heat.

[rgaynor85]

ive read that a lower temp thermo can actually be bad in some cases, because new engines are designed to heat up the oil to where condensation in the oil will evaporate and not stay in the oil contaminating it. also that it can be bad because cylinder are meant to be a certain temp for propper combustion and if u lower that temp it can soak up to much of the heat and prevent it from completely burning the fuel goin in then eventually making your cats go bad if u have them. i would guess with tuning that would be avoided probably but it was somehtin i read if i can find the link ill post it. vinci high performance wrote it

edit: i found it here read this its pretty interesting.

Proper Coolant Temperature and Camshaft Life!

Have you ever tried to find what proper coolant temperature is for most automotive engines? There are a lot of people who think they know, but it is difficult to find specifics, even in textbooks. We know we want the intake air to be as cold as possible (for best power) because cold air is denser (there are more oxygen atoms per cubic foot). The coolant temperature, however, is a different matter. The internal combustion engine changes chemical energy stored in gasoline into heat energy that is focused on the piston tops. If the cylinder heads and engine block are too cold, they will absorb much of the combustion heat before it can be used to push the piston down the cylinder. If the engine gets too hot, engine lubricants can break down, as well as overheating of the intake charge can lead to detonation, etc.

It turns out that coolant (usually a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water) has some fantastic properties that are ideal for use in engines. With a properly pressurized cooling system, coolant will not freeze until –30°F, and it won’t boil until +270°F (new oils don’t start to break down until well over 270°F). With these characteristics, engine designers have decided that engines should operate at approximately 210-215°F. Why, you ask? Well, it has to do with operating the engine at a high enough temperature to boil water out of the oil after the engine is cold started. If you have dew on the grass, it is certain that you have water in your oil, as the crankcase is open to atmospheric pressure! You can either remove the water by draining it out the bottom of the oil pan (remember the oil floats on water) or run the engine long enough and hot enough to boil the water out of the lubrication system. Years ago, coolants weren’t as sophisticated and engines were run at 165-180F, but the oil was changed every 1000 miles or so. That’s why many old timers think engines should run at 165-180F. Have you ever noticed that Ford doesn’t put temperature marks on their gauges? They just mark C for cold and H for hot and write “normal” through the center. If you hook up a scan tool to a GM, you will often find that the gauge reads much lower than the coolant temp sensor. That is because they know most drivers don’t understand how hot an engine should run.

So what does this have to do with camshafts? Many enthusiasts erroneously think that the colder their engine runs the better! If they are not running the engine hot enough to boil the water out of the oil, the oil becomes contaminated and the lifter/cam lobe interface is the highest load point in the engine. Engines running too cool can contribute significantly to camshaft and lifter failure. Think about it: What good does it do to use the most expensive synthetic oil and then run the engine so cold that it is contaminated by water vapor??!! Another point, piston manufacturers’ piston-to-wall clearance recommendations assume you will be running the fully warmed engine at 200°+F. Run the engine too cold, and you could see some scuffed pistons because the cylinders had not expanded enough to provide clearance.

If your engine will only run its best at the drag strip with the engine at 165°F, you probably have too cold of a spark plug heat range and you are probably jetted way too rich! If you keep the engine hot (not the intake charge), you will be using more of the heat energy in the gasoline to make power instead of just heating up your block. It does take “tuning know-how” to run an engine at 200-210°F, but you might be surprised how well and how long it runs when you do!! One final point - running a computer managed engine at 165°F compared to the factory 210°F will often cost you as much as 4 MPG. The reason for this is that the computer thinks that the engine is not off the “choke cycle” and it is still putting out a rich mixture! Check the science on this and don’t pay attention to the “old wives tales” of the past. Materials and lubricants are much better and different today than they were in the past!!

[foff667]

good read but this part "One final point - running a computer managed engine at 165°F compared to the factory 210°F will often cost you as much as 4 MPG. The reason for this is that the computer thinks that the engine is not off the “choke cycle” and it is still putting out a rich mixture!" is complete bs in all vehicles I've ever tuned. Most tunes command that if the iat temp is over 14*F and the ECT is over 92*F the car will go into closed loop which commands 14.6-14.7:1 a/f ratio.

[rgaynor85]

good to know, just thought id throw that in, but the oil contamination i would think could be tru and the heat soak of the cylinders correct?

[foff667]

Originally Posted by rgaynor85

good to know, just thought id throw that in, but the oil contamination i would think could be tru and the heat soak of the cylinders correct?

like I said, good read...just pointing out known misinformation in it.

[rgaynor85]

ok sounds good lol

[Injuneer]

Do you realize that with your LS1 there is a "free mod" that allows you to adjust the temperature of the stock thermostat?

[98tadriver]

Originally Posted by Injuneer

Do you realize that with your LS1 there is a "free mod" that allows you to adjust the temperature of the stock thermostat?

Please, enlighten me my friend. how can this be done?

[IcemanSS]

[foff667]

I assume hes referring to drilling the stock tstat.

[Injuneer]

No drilling.... you shim the t'stat spring with a brass ferrule...... its covered in the Chris Endres "Chevy LS1/LS6 Performance" book. I could send you a copy of the page if you want. The LS1 'stats are expensive, because they include the complete "housing":

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/155...95229?n=283155

[coldkilla]

Hey since this discussion has something to do with a problem im having and foff667 is a tuner extrordinare... my 93 LT1 bird will not turn either cooling fan on no matter what. ive replaced the coolant temp sensor in the water pump, replaced the relays, i have voltage at the relay block. i have to turn the fans on manually with my home made switch. i have a 160 stat and a pcmforless chip with programming for the stat. is there anyway that a power spike or anything could have "erased" the fan programming from my tune? they dont even come on at the factory setting. i dont know what else to check thats why im thinking maybe something went wrong with the chip, if its possible.

[foff667]

i remember eric had some issues with his 93 when he first bought it as well...not sure what the fix was though.

[rgaynor85]

how bout that page for us to read, im curiosu mself

[WayFast84]

were can I get all the ls1 free mods? like not get them but read about all of them, Id like to know just for my own information cause Ill be getting one some day

[Brando56894]

i believe the webpage is called "install university" google it....

[foff667]

that would be www.installuniversity.com & www.ls1howto.com

[3.4 grape of wrath]

I was searching for some info on which temp thermostats work best. I'm especially interested in a boosted car, stock 195 or a 160 degree stat. Any dyno proven results? I know this is an old thread, anyone still running the 160 degree stat?