LS1 Water Pump & T-Stat
#21
LS1's are designed to run hotter.
Coolant temp effects the engines mechanical parts and the clearances they were designed to run at.
Power comes from a cool dense air charge reaching the combustion chamber, thats why they have the composite intakes.
Detonation isn't even a factor, an engine needs spark at the right time. A hot engine needs spark later and a cool engine needs it earlier.
Do some research, efficient powerful engines make more power with less timing.
The days of the old gen one small block with 160 degree coolant and 45 degrees timing are gone.
Stock LS1's even with 185* thermostats are designed to run at 210* and make more power, more efficiently with less timing.
Sure you can run them cooler with a tune, but that tune usually is advancing the timing--yea you can run more because you need to.
And why does everyone with a 160* thermostat and a tune run stronger, hopefully because of the tune, not the temperature.
You don't just throw in a 160* t stat and tune the fan temp.
Coolant temp effects the engines mechanical parts and the clearances they were designed to run at.
Power comes from a cool dense air charge reaching the combustion chamber, thats why they have the composite intakes.
Detonation isn't even a factor, an engine needs spark at the right time. A hot engine needs spark later and a cool engine needs it earlier.
Do some research, efficient powerful engines make more power with less timing.
The days of the old gen one small block with 160 degree coolant and 45 degrees timing are gone.
Stock LS1's even with 185* thermostats are designed to run at 210* and make more power, more efficiently with less timing.
Sure you can run them cooler with a tune, but that tune usually is advancing the timing--yea you can run more because you need to.
And why does everyone with a 160* thermostat and a tune run stronger, hopefully because of the tune, not the temperature.
You don't just throw in a 160* t stat and tune the fan temp.
#22
#23
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A related post about temperature.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...37#post9568137
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...37#post9568137
Thanks!
#24
I know I know...this is older than dirt. But I couldn't pass this by. This is just wrong information. Heat is energy, energy is power. Why do you think the NASCAR boys run their engines so hot??
#25
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Very old thread, but since it's back now....
No, that is not the bottom line at all.
People are very confused about this topic.
A hot (within reason) combustion chamber will make more power than a cold one. 160° is not an ideal temp for LS1 combustion chambers.
It's a cold air intake charge that makes more power than a hot one (cooler air is more dense), not a cold combustion chamber. People often use colder temp t-stats as a way to prevent intake heat soak (not really an issue for LS1s), thus keeping the intake air charge colder. They also use them to allow for more timing advance without detonation (espeically in forced induction applications where cylinder pressure is higher).
People are very confused about this topic.
A hot (within reason) combustion chamber will make more power than a cold one. 160° is not an ideal temp for LS1 combustion chambers.
It's a cold air intake charge that makes more power than a hot one (cooler air is more dense), not a cold combustion chamber. People often use colder temp t-stats as a way to prevent intake heat soak (not really an issue for LS1s), thus keeping the intake air charge colder. They also use them to allow for more timing advance without detonation (espeically in forced induction applications where cylinder pressure is higher).