160 tstat
Some people claim that it makes their car run better, but theres no HP gains from it. And to fully take advantage of it you would need to have your fans reprogrammed to match the T stat. The way I always looked at it was there is a reason GM picked the temps that the car is set at which is within the range that the engine was designed to operate in for maximum performance and efficiency. This is why if you drive a bunch of short trips you get worse mpg's because your car does not have time to heat up and operate the way it was designed to. So unless you have a specific reason or you change enough on the car and it is recommended to lower the temp I would leave it alone. Newer cars in general run hotter then older cars, its just how they are designed.
Yep, most people will claim their car runs better-including me.
It was a worthwhile mod and I highly recommend it. The reason car makers like to run engines hotter is because they produce less pollution. With the 160 thermostat and a tune to run the fans starting at 160 degrees, I achieved 30 MPG with the original 2:73 rear on the highway.
It was a worthwhile mod and I highly recommend it. The reason car makers like to run engines hotter is because they produce less pollution. With the 160 thermostat and a tune to run the fans starting at 160 degrees, I achieved 30 MPG with the original 2:73 rear on the highway.
For less than a hundred bucks you can buy a PCM on ebay. Get it, send it out for a mail order tune to like PCMforless and have them tune the lower fan temp as well as some other tuning "tricks" that can be done.
You'll always have a spare PCM on the shelf so you can have mods done and not lose the use of your car.
You'll always have a spare PCM on the shelf so you can have mods done and not lose the use of your car.
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Every car i tried it in lost gas nileage and of course if you live n a northern US it will sludge the engine oil quickly because it won't get up to operating temps to clear the moisture out of the oil. Oh yeah and the pistons and other clearances in the engine were engineered with the higher temp thermostat so all the clearances will be off and you will get premature wear and noise.
Other than that you're good go.........
Other than that you're good go.........
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Keep in mind you're not typically going to run at 160F. And Paul is correct, the reason for 195F Tstats from the factory is for emissions, not performance.
I've been running one for about 8 years. Here's my thoughts. First off, get tuned for it to take advantage of the lower coolant temperatures, along with kicking on the fans earlier. Then yes, there is power to be had. I find on a warm day at cruise, the car pretty consistently runs at 180 (this is with an aftermarket gauge, not the stock idiot light) which is right where I'd like it. Stop and go it may heat up to 205, my fan settings keep it from getting higher. At the track if I do things right I usually am right around 180 staging, and about 205 by the time I finish the pass.
Words of caution - I would not use a 160F in cold weather. I find below about 50F ambient at highway speeds, the car will only hit about 165F and that really isn't warm enough for my taste. My car sits for 4 months in the winter so it's not really an issue to me. But if you're DD'ing it, I would either swap it out in the cold weather (really takes like 5 minutes) or only go down to a 185 Tstat.
I've been running one for about 8 years. Here's my thoughts. First off, get tuned for it to take advantage of the lower coolant temperatures, along with kicking on the fans earlier. Then yes, there is power to be had. I find on a warm day at cruise, the car pretty consistently runs at 180 (this is with an aftermarket gauge, not the stock idiot light) which is right where I'd like it. Stop and go it may heat up to 205, my fan settings keep it from getting higher. At the track if I do things right I usually am right around 180 staging, and about 205 by the time I finish the pass.
Words of caution - I would not use a 160F in cold weather. I find below about 50F ambient at highway speeds, the car will only hit about 165F and that really isn't warm enough for my taste. My car sits for 4 months in the winter so it's not really an issue to me. But if you're DD'ing it, I would either swap it out in the cold weather (really takes like 5 minutes) or only go down to a 185 Tstat.
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Another thing to consider is that if your car is 99+ the temp gauge is a dummy gauge, it goes up as the car heats up but the temp number is not accurate, its pretty much reads cold, warming up, normal operating temp, and overheating
Keep in mind you're not typically going to run at 160F. And Paul is correct, the reason for 195F Tstats from the factory is for emissions, not performance.
I've been running one for about 8 years. Here's my thoughts. First off, get tuned for it to take advantage of the lower coolant temperatures, along with kicking on the fans earlier. Then yes, there is power to be had. I find on a warm day at cruise, the car pretty consistently runs at 180 (this is with an aftermarket gauge, not the stock idiot light) which is right where I'd like it. Stop and go it may heat up to 205, my fan settings keep it from getting higher. At the track if I do things right I usually am right around 180 staging, and about 205 by the time I finish the pass.
Words of caution - I would not use a 160F in cold weather. I find below about 50F ambient at highway speeds, the car will only hit about 165F and that really isn't warm enough for my taste. My car sits for 4 months in the winter so it's not really an issue to me. But if you're DD'ing it, I would either swap it out in the cold weather (really takes like 5 minutes) or only go down to a 185 Tstat.
I've been running one for about 8 years. Here's my thoughts. First off, get tuned for it to take advantage of the lower coolant temperatures, along with kicking on the fans earlier. Then yes, there is power to be had. I find on a warm day at cruise, the car pretty consistently runs at 180 (this is with an aftermarket gauge, not the stock idiot light) which is right where I'd like it. Stop and go it may heat up to 205, my fan settings keep it from getting higher. At the track if I do things right I usually am right around 180 staging, and about 205 by the time I finish the pass.
Words of caution - I would not use a 160F in cold weather. I find below about 50F ambient at highway speeds, the car will only hit about 165F and that really isn't warm enough for my taste. My car sits for 4 months in the winter so it's not really an issue to me. But if you're DD'ing it, I would either swap it out in the cold weather (really takes like 5 minutes) or only go down to a 185 Tstat.
even with my stock idiot gauge the temp its reading colder than before. and i think its worth it. i got mine for 50 bucks on here. not i dont gotta worry about it hittin 210+ temps. not i stay in the 190 range. and i still havent gotten fans tuned down.
What temp T-Stat are you running?