someone please explain these low temp thermostats
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: DALLAS TX
someone please explain these low temp thermostats the hotter an engine gets the better the combustion, and the more effecient it runs. unless your runnin nitrous, i just dont get what the benifit is. it seems to me all that would improve with lower operating temps is better emissions, and we all care about that soooo much. im new to the mod world but i know engines. unless someone comes up with a logical expanation i will NOT be putting one on my ride.
I run a 160 stat but only after i added the blower to my engine. Reason being with the pro charger you loose one of the stock fans and ati gives you a single 12'' fan. So with that and the high intake air tems the bower can produce I chose to fun a colder stat. The lowest temps I see are 170 deg. and after several WOT passes the temp will get to 210 deg. If your just a bolton or head/cam car there really isn't any reason to drop the temp of your stat. If any thing just change the temp that fans come on to a cooler temp.
Putting a lower temp stat is would only be good if you retune (dyno) your PCM for the lower operating Temp and set the fans to a lower temp to match the stat.
The modern day engine is designed and engineered to be both performance and emission complaint and has been tune to operate in the given temp range.
This a a subject that continues to be debated. If you have the time, try it and if it works for you, then go with it.. if not.. just leave it as is.
Let us know what you do and what works..
The modern day engine is designed and engineered to be both performance and emission complaint and has been tune to operate in the given temp range.
This a a subject that continues to be debated. If you have the time, try it and if it works for you, then go with it.. if not.. just leave it as is.
Let us know what you do and what works..
12 Second Club
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 0
From: Corpus Christi
the hotter an engine gets the better the combustion, and the more effecient it runs. unless your runnin nitrous,
i just dont get what the benifit is. it seems to me all that would improve with lower operating temps is better emissions, and we all care about that soooo much. im new to the mod world but i know engines. unless someone comes up with a logical expanation i will NOT be putting one on my ride.
i just dont get what the benifit is. it seems to me all that would improve with lower operating temps is better emissions, and we all care about that soooo much. im new to the mod world but i know engines. unless someone comes up with a logical expanation i will NOT be putting one on my ride.
the hotter only applies in the cumbustion. the engine as a whole would be hurt.
nitrous cools the incoming air/gas, then again it's ignited in the cumbustion.
engine need to run at a certain temp. for best hp to economy ratio. once modded like bigger cam/turbos/superchargers which increase eng temp in their own rightwill increase engine running temp. so one way by trying to keep things running cooler after mod's is to put in a lower temp stat..... there alot more to this but, I'm trying to keep it simple so I wont confuse you. hope this helps some.......
cooler water temps = less heat that has to be removed from the water through the radiator...meaning the radiator will work better as a heat exchanger and allow more heat to be removed from the combustion chamber/head/block throught the water...oil does its part as well, but you can give it extra help by running cooler temps in the car overall. a higher temp t stat will normally equate to better MPG though...i would only try that in the summer months. normally I run a 180 then i might switch to the 195/200 in the summer. that way itll have about the same average fuel economy with the a/c on
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I would agree with this is we had iron heads and a carb setup. With modern fuel injection, aluminum heads and better cooling blocks, it will hurt performance to drop the temp too much.
Ask any of the engine masters guys or Nascar what temp makes the best power and you'd be surprised that they run well into the 210-220 degree range. A lower thermostat is simply a bandaid for poor tuning and lack of thermal cooling capacity in the radiator. The reason the FI guys go with a lower t-stat is because if they didn't, they'd push well into the 230+ range because the stock radiator was never designed to meet those cooling capacity needs.
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Verdad Gallardo NASCAR isnt fuel injected though...they run that higher heat also to help atomize the fuel...and those arent a good object of comparison either...they are on the extreme end of everything
but on a street engine i def wouldnt run any lower than 180...no need itll just start comsuming alot of fuel and prob turn ur bumper black
but on a street engine i def wouldnt run any lower than 180...no need itll just start comsuming alot of fuel and prob turn ur bumper black
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,216
Likes: 236
From: Wichita KS / Rancho San Diego
I run the stock stat with lowered fan temps. I can say that I consistently run better times at the track at 195-200 than at 210+. And that's with no KR in either temp range.