is a 160 degree thermostat worth it?

[99TransAmSLP]

I have a hyper tech I think

[Circa307]

i just change mine out from season to season. I do beleive that it can run "to cold" in the winter to burn up the comdensation. i can take my oil cap off and it will have some water drops on the inside of. Just put the 160 in it for the summar months and stock in it for the winter months. btw i live in south carolina and do have a tune. i had a SLP fan switch on my lt1 z28 and loved it with my 160 stat.

[99TransAmSLP]

I put my 180 in

[Firebirdjones]

i just change mine out from season to season. I do beleive that it can run "to cold" in the winter to burn up the comdensation. i can take my oil cap off and it will have some water drops on the inside of. Just put the 160 in it for the summar months and stock in it for the winter months. btw i live in south carolina and do have a tune. i had a SLP fan switch on my lt1 z28 and loved it with my 160 stat.

But.....you're in South Carolina,,,,it doesn't get that cold in winter season down there

[SteveC]

why do I remember reading a post where at 160 degrees the car doesnt get hot enough to burn off some shit someone will correct me on this

You are correct, the PCM will read the engine as not being warm, and you will be using more gas, with the A/F ratio richer to compensate.

I use a 180F thermostat, and have my fans adjusted for that (through the PCM), and the engine stays cooler, however that temperature is warm enough not to trick the PCM into thinking it is cold.

SteveC

[Firebirdjones]

You are correct, the PCM will read the engine as not being warm, and you will be using more gas, with the A/F ratio richer to compensate.

I use a 180F thermostat, and have my fans adjusted for that (through the PCM), and the engine stays cooler, however that temperature is warm enough not to trick the PCM into thinking it is cold.

SteveC

No sir,,,thats a myth that got started somehow. The PCM is programed to hit closed loop somewhere around 120 degrees,,,not even close to a 160 stat. It changes nothing on fueling what so ever and will not affect gas mileage the least bit.

[99yellowz28]

i have a 180 and i runs good runs a hair under the 1/2 way mark on the tach but i havent set my fans yet

[redracer1]

The 160 stat in my opinion is a good thing to do. I run them in the entire fleet, old and new cars.
I don't look at it as a HP gain. For me there are many other benificial gains with a cooler stat that alot of people overlook.

If you run an automatic trans you have to remember it's only cooler is part of your engine radiator, and with an engine running well over 200 degrees all the time it makes it very difficult to get the trans temps down. Heat is the #1 killer of an automatic trans.
A cooler engine will also result in a cooler transmission.

Not to mention if you have a WS6 or SS with a power steering cooler you also get a cooler power steering pump, something road racers might want to keep in mind.

You also get the benefit of cooler under hood temps,,,and on these computer controlled cars it could be a real godsend with IAT temps and cold air boxes that actually sit right on top of the radiator anyway,,,think about it.
I also like the fact that with all the plastic crap under these cars nowadays like wire looms, sensors, fittings, clips etc....it just doesn't last very long under extreme temperatures,,,,go figure With cooler under hood temps it's much easier on this stuff.

But if that doesn't convince anyone maybe this will make you feel better.

The LS1 thermostats won't operate at 160 degrees anyway,,,they actually open around the 172 degree mark from what I have found logging on 2 different cars. With that said you can't set the fans lower than this plus there needs to be some wiggle room for the fan settings.
So setting them around the 180-185 mark seems to work good for both of my 4th gens.
With that said, even with the 160 stat you'll find the car actually runs around 180 degrees most all the time anyway. Still better than 215 degrees though

+1 ^^^ This guys got it right

[b.lee]

Ya I have the 160 t-stat and get killer mileage.
22-23mpg city/hwy - Best was 26.6mpg (A4 w/ 3.73's)

[qwik219d9]

the LS1 makes bigger power when warmer it has been proven on the dyno cool motor verues warm.

I have the stock thremostate for this reason however I have lowered both fan settings.

also I like to crank and go w/ a cooler thremostate it will take longer for the car to warm up.

[SSTODD]

the LS1 makes bigger power when warmer it has been proven on the dyno cool motor verues warm.

I have the stock thremostate for this reason however I have lowered both fan settings.

also I like to crank and go w/ a cooler thremostate it will take longer for the car to warm up.

Are you telling me that a thermostat changes how fast water/coolant will warm? this sounds like the guy in "My cousin Vinny" with his magic grits that boil quicker on his stove that does not follow the law of physics.

[Firebirdjones]

the LS1 makes bigger power when warmer it has been proven on the dyno cool motor verues warm.

I have the stock thremostate for this reason however I have lowered both fan settings.

also I like to crank and go w/ a cooler thremostate it will take longer for the car to warm up.

Car warms up just as fast,,,only difference is it stops warming up at a lower temperature,,,of which is not harmfull to the motor at all.

I'd like to see this warmer engine making more power than a cooler engine. Maybe on an engine dyno (out of the car in controlled conditions) it's possible but what you have to take into account is day to day driving and severe heat soaking. Once anything in the air intake track (including the intake manifold itself) is heat soaked it kills power.
Remember that every 10 degree drop in air intake temperature is worth 1% increase in Horsepower. This ratio increase the more the engine makes. That includes not only sucking in outside ambient temps but also you have to take into account the air intake duct work sitting right on top of the radiator as well as the intake manifold itself.
Even if the outside air is cool,,,,it is still heated as it passes through all this stuff. In regular driving conditions (especially in the hot south west) it becomes a real issue.

[natews6]

So can you just get by with buying the 160 thermostat and not havning to tune the PCM???

[tatertot91]

So can you just get by with buying the 160 thermostat and not havning to tune the PCM???

Your fans won't kick on soon enough

[sjsingle1]

i have a 160...........no tune.....and unless i have the a/c on i never hear the fans kick in....guess my system is just that efficent

[tatertot91]

i have a 160...........no tune.....and unless i have the a/c on i never hear the fans kick in....guess my system is just that efficent

No the tune is so that your fans do kick on, mainly helpful when you sit in traffic and there is no air passing through the radiator

[Cutlass]

The stock tune has the low speed fans come on at something like 222 degrees...so you may not hear them come on often.

[ixlr8nxs]

Where did you get your 160 thermostat. I checked all the auto parts near me and none could find a 160 thermostat. O'reilly finally found and ordered me one and went to install it but didnt fit.

[sjsingle1]

you need to get one WITH the housing..........hypertech........slp

[ixlr8nxs]

The one from O'reilly had the housing but wouldn't go in the block. The thermo was to wide to go in the outlet.