Carbureted LSX forum - What thermostat are you running in your carbed LS swap

I dont remember ever seeing a thread on this, so here it goes. What thermostat is everybody running in thier carbed LS. Hopefully this will serve as a good point of reference for people in the future looking for this information.

I am planing on running a 160 degree, but am wondering if my car would benefit from running at a warmer operating temperature. Whats everyone running. Thanks, Eric L

I think mine opens at 186, don't remember for sure.

I know with the fan on it never gets above 185

stock

89 RS has a 160
86 TA has a stocker drilled out
94 gmc has a stocker

stocker 188 all day long

need to get the oil temps up to get the condensation out of the oil.

Tim

That was kind of my line of thought. My LT1 Camaro SS runs a 160 thermostat. Even though I only drive the car during warm months, when its cold at night in the fall and spring, it barely gets up to operating temp. Where is a good place to pickup a factory 186 degree thermostat for the early style w/p with the 1 piece t stat and housing? Thanks, Eric L

Ran a stocker this summer. Just picked up a slightly used 160 to swap in this spring. The stock one had me running a wee bit too warm for my liking.

I got mine at the local auto parts store.

We run it with a 16" spal fan and a spal controler most of the time is on low unless the AC is on then another 11" fan will come on. Highest we have ever seen is 200 with the AC on max in 100 degree traffic in INDY for power tour.

I would run the hotter stat. In my car I have a 160 and have the fans set to come on at 185 with the spal controler and they are on low most of the time. I have a remote pump so I want it to open so I can get the water thur the motor at a lower temp.

Tim

Im also useing a 160,fans turning on at 180

Stock with shims, opens at 170°...

How do you shim a stock thermostat?

What about for a strictly drag car? My car isn't going to be street driven

I'm not running a stat and I blocked off the bypass. It seems to work ok. It's a strictly drag truck.

I ran a 180 last year with a stock water pump. I changed to a 160 this year with the electric pump.

Im running a stock w/p on mine with PLENTY of open engine compartment area and a very efficent radiator and fan. Looks like ill be going with a stock thermostat. Any idea with this setup and a stock w/p what operating temps to look for. Thanks for all the suggestions. Eric L

I've been told that the colder you run an LS the more power it makes. I'm running a 160° on a street only car. I have the fans set to turn on above that, so I am generally running a bit hotter.

Oil condensation on a race motor shouldn't be an issue given how often racers should be changing their oil. Mobil 1 says to change the oil every so many miles or 6 months.

All depends on how the engine is built.

With a alum block and tighter main clearance you need to get the engine and oil up to temp for the clearances to open up correctly.

If you are going to run it cold it needs to be built loose but not ran hot.

The alum block is going to put more condensation in the oil. It the the heating and cooling that puts the water in the crank case. only way to get it out is to cook it out with oil temp. Changing the oil will only remove some of it.

Tim .

How do you shim a stock thermostat?

I couldn't find a decent pic, but mine's the early style that needs to be disassembled. I use a pair of waterpump pliers and twist the guts 90° to get it out. You'll see where the shaft has a pilot that goes into a receiver hole in the housing. I added a pair of 3/16" pop-rivet washers on the end of the pilot to space it away from the housing, and ended up at 170°.

Changing the oil will only remove some of it.

That statement doesn't make a whole lot of sense but whatever.

The water is not sitting in the oil it is on every part of the engine that oil touches. The underside of my valve covers are milky untill the oil and engine temps get up to cook the water out. Even in the summer there is some evidence.

My wifes VW was like this in the winter unless we drove it for over a hour.
Changing the oil did nothing to help it. Normal per VW.

Alum blocks need are a different animal and have some goofy things about them.

Tim

I'm in Florida so I run a 160; fans at 170. Because it never gets hot enough to cook the water out - every once in a while I let it get up to 210 or so - just to cook off some of that.

My wifes VW ...


Well I think we have discovered the source of your problem :)

Seriously some cars have more issues with venting the crankcase than others. We had a Toyota minivan that was part of some type of class action lawsuit because the oil would sludge up and kill the motor if it wasn't changed precisely on schedule. Turned out they had some issues only on certain models with venting the crank case. Toyota was originally blaming it on improper maintenance and refusing to cover them under warranty. But they got so much bad press they ended up covering them anyway.

Any car that is only driven short distances all of the time will have issues with water condensation in the oil. It is hard for me to believe that a few extras degrees of radiator temp is going to make a difference in oil condensation.

And changing the oil more frequently is the answer to water condensation. That is part of the reason Mobil 1 says so many mile or so many months, and exactly why some of the Toyotas ate their motors in 10K miles while others lived normal lives.