How can I get my 99 TA to run at 160?
07-31-2009, 11:16 AM
#1
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How can I get my 99 TA to run at 160? My 98 ss did it (ran at 160) why would they take this ability away from us dame I'm losing tranny after tranny.
Now my 99 temp just sits in the middle Man I hate these models.
Now my 99 temp just sits in the middle Man I hate these models.
07-31-2009, 11:23 AM
#3
The temp gauge on these cars are very inaccurate. My cluster reads around 200-210 when it's actually running ~174. I read my temp from my scan gauge, I also have a 160 t-stat.
08-01-2009, 02:33 AM
#7
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Actualy you do not want to run 160*. LS motors run most efficient in the 190+ area, running them much cooler is actualy not good for them.
If your tranny is having issues, how about a big tranny cooler with independent fan (properly placed/installed).
I live in 45*c + weather and have no issues with overheating.
160* stat, tuned for fans to come on 160*, big tranny cooler/3800stall/built FLT level 5.
If your tranny is having issues, how about a big tranny cooler with independent fan (properly placed/installed).
I live in 45*c + weather and have no issues with overheating.
160* stat, tuned for fans to come on 160*, big tranny cooler/3800stall/built FLT level 5.
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08-01-2009, 06:28 AM
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I completely agree with PredatorZ. These motors do not run best at that low an operating temp. Alot of the tables in the PCM change according to ECT readings. I am not 100% but I remember looking at my buddys 98's guage and comparing it to my 99. The actual readings on the guage differed. The high and low figures on each guage were different from one another. I can almost be certain if you compared the operating temp between your 98 and current model they ran within a few degrees of each other. Obviously you have an automatic and a trans cooler with a fan as suggested above is always a great idea. Although if you have lost multiple trannys i'd be looking at other causes as well. Any mods?
08-01-2009, 08:32 AM
#9
I wouldnt run ANY engine at 160*, nor would I put a 160* stat in anything. Ive had this discussion over and over(for years) but everyone is hard headed and just needs to put "160 stat" in their sig for some reason. Its not a mod worth talking about.
Irreguardless if you understand how the PCM works, with adders and multipliers etc... If you open your t-stat at 160, its open, water if flowing to the radiator. It doesnt hold temp after 160*, your cooling system does! Work on your cooling system if you want cool temps, My truck runs at 200-210 and Im perfectly happy.
What do you think is wrong with running around 200?
Irreguardless if you understand how the PCM works, with adders and multipliers etc... If you open your t-stat at 160, its open, water if flowing to the radiator. It doesnt hold temp after 160*, your cooling system does! Work on your cooling system if you want cool temps, My truck runs at 200-210 and Im perfectly happy.
What do you think is wrong with running around 200?
08-01-2009, 10:39 AM
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Thats true^^^ nothing wrong with running 200. Originally with factory settings in the computer i saw mine go to 230+ with no adverse affects (hot, traffic, ac)
08-02-2009, 05:21 AM
#11
Got this from Ed Curtis but it is by Crane cams
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 165-180°F, but the oil was changed every 1,000 miles or so. That’s why many old timers think engines should run at 165-180°F. 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 4MPG. That’s because 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 in the past!!
from the monthly Crane Newletter
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 165-180°F, but the oil was changed every 1,000 miles or so. That’s why many old timers think engines should run at 165-180°F. 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 4MPG. That’s because 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 in the past!!
from the monthly Crane Newletter
08-02-2009, 02:09 PM
#12
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^now that's an eye opener.
Too bad, too. I've had a 160* stat sitting around for about a month and I was gonna install it next week. Now I dont know if I want to.
Too bad, too. I've had a 160* stat sitting around for about a month and I was gonna install it next week. Now I dont know if I want to.
08-02-2009, 03:54 PM
#13
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Installing a 160 stat does not mean your motor will run 160. It means that your stat lets the radiator coolant through the motor starting that temp, that is all.
08-02-2009, 08:25 PM
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Ok 160 would be like 170 i've heard but my real reason was to keep the temp down for the tranny to cool longer i now have a cooler.Tranny cooler i mean
08-03-2009, 06:41 PM
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its a known fact. 99 and up were dummy gauges. My aftermarket water temp gauge reads actual temp, when the motor is about 160-170 warming up the factory gauge already shows in the middle (210), it wont move even as the actual temp rises to as high as 230. The factory gauge just then starts to inch a tad at 230+. Everywhere in the middle its the same, it doesnt move.
08-05-2009, 11:17 AM
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its a known fact. 99 and up were dummy gauges. My aftermarket water temp gauge reads actual temp, when the motor is about 160-170 warming up the factory gauge already shows in the middle (210), it wont move even as the actual temp rises to as high as 230. The factory gauge just then starts to inch a tad at 230+. Everywhere in the middle its the same, it doesnt move.
were lt1's are real guage (although, inaccurate)? Or dummy too?