I have a 2002 trans am that is completely stock, would a 160 degree beneficial: yes or no and why?

 

I like my 160, lower temps by at least 10 to 15 degree's around town, It should make a little more power since their is not as much heat.

 

best thing you can do is get a tune and set the fans to come on at a lower temp. this will make your engine run much cooler.

 

I have 160 stat. I just got my fans reset to come on on cooler temps to work w/ the stat.

 

Yes but you'll need a tuner such as the Predator or a SLP/Caspers manual switch for your fans to operate correctly since your thermostat will be opening sooner.

 

No. Do not get a 160 degree thermostat.

http://www.hardcorels1.com/vbulletin...read.php?t=375

 

I think my 01' ws6 comes with a 180 stock. Going to 160 can't help that much.

 

Black Knight,
Even with a 160 stat and fans set lower what does an LS1 operate at with constant driving?

 

The higher temps are mostly for emissions. If that doesn't concern you then get the 160 and have the fans come on sooner.

 

there is a huge misconception with 160* thermostats with today's engines. a lot of old school car people swear by them and say they're great. this was true for engines in the 1960's and so. there were no emissions laws and gas was a quarter a gallon. the engines were designed to run cool. they have this knowledge in their head then spread it to the younger generation. this is a mistake.

today's engines are engineered to run hot. why? engines that run hot get better fuel economy and produce less emissions. a 160* thermostat in an LS1 is actually very bad for it. the oil we use today needs to get hot to boil the water out of it that accumulates in it naturally due to condensation and humidity. the oil will reach higher temperatures less, boiling out less water. not only that, oils today are heat activated. they will not clean your engine unless they are hot. if you run cool, you will be leaving dirt, scum and God knows what behind.

a 160* thermostat will also kill your gas mileage. i've seen reports of fuel mpg dropping - no lie - 4mpg due to a 160* thermostat. i don't have the links, you'll just have to take my word on it.

our engines were specifically engineered for the stock thermostat. all the tuning and PCM diagnostics in the WORLD with a 160* thermostat will not keep your engine running better than stock simply because it will be much dirtier since the oil detergents don't fully activate. please stay away from the 160* thermostat in a modern engine. don't try to fight engineering for the sake of 3 horsepower. you'll be losing soooo much more than you'll be gaining. reprogram your fans to come on at ~210*-215*. this will keep you running cooler and will assure your oil runs at high enough temperatures to do a good cleaning job. we spend $6 a quart on synthetic oil. what's the point of buying it if we're not letting it do its job?

 

my post sounds exactly like this article. i feel so smart

 

So with fans lowered and 160 stat what is the engine actually operating at on 20 min drive?

 

too cold for the engine to clean itself or run correctly. that's all that matters. bad idea.

 

I have heard this before, if all the water from condensation isn't getting out of the system then why doesn't our oil turn into milkshake color from mixing with all this water that that lower degree thermostat isn't allowing the engine to evaporate? Why, because any water that does accumulate in the initial start up does evaporate.

Hurting MPG? then you shouldn't have gotten a V8

Some of us have the optional power steering cooler (RPO V12) which adds more temp to the coolant.
Also, ask him if he has a stick or Auto....us A4 guys have HOTTTT tranny fluid running through our radiators.

Both of these are extra sources that add to engine temp an adding a lower T-stat would be beneficial IMO

Who needs to worry about detergents when you run fully synthetic and change oil every 3000. When I took my motor apart for my H/C swap (I have been running Mobil 1 since it was Brand new) my valve train and valley were totally sludge free and had no discoloration or build up that you see when running petroleum based dino-oils.

 

no, it's because oil is less dense with water and floats to the top. also, water is polar and oil is nonpolar. what does this mean? water doesn't mix with oil. think vinegar and oil salad dressing. oil floats to the top and needs to be shaken - oil and vinegar doesn't mix, just like oil and water. you get a big *duh* for that.

the most bullshit argument someone can use and it's always out of desparation. i did so buy my V8 for fuel economy, and it's a daily driver just like most people on this site use their f-bodies for a DD. i get 22mpg, mostly city driving. i get power at an affordable price. 4mpg is a HUGE deal no matter what your mpg is.

so what? it doesn't change the fact that the engine WAS NOT ENGINEERED TO RUN COLD. it's bad for the engine in the long run. end of story. your "opinion" is wrong and it's the very misconception i was talking about in my post. heat is good for your engine today since that is the environment that the fluids and internals were made to run in. a cold environment is bad bad bad for your engine.

tranny temps too hot? run a tranny cooler. a tranny is where cool oil temps ARE good!

another *duh* for you. the detergents in the synthetic are heat activated. they're not active at room temperature in the bottle. it's not the "synthetic" part that makes the oil so great, it's all the detergents that are added to synthetics that are great - all that which are heat activated.

i'm not trying to be mean, your entire argument is just lies and misconception. it's all wrong. please don't fight your engine. run it how it was engineered to run. you're only hurting it by doing otherwise.

you're arguing fact, here. look at it this way: today is august 14, 2006 in the USA. you can call today july 3, 1948 if you want and you can argue that with me - but it's an argument you'll never win. please, run the engine like it was made to be ran. you'll only hurt yourself in the long run

 

do you think water just sits on top of oil? when the motor spins even at idle the oil turns to a milkshake? have you ever seen a cracked block and have coolant mix with oil? it turns to a milkshake ?

 

that's because oil and coolant mix. they're both nonpolar. water is the opposite - it's polar. even shaken, oil and water never truly mix. they begin separating instantaneously. it's not possible for them to bond together.

look, i really don't want to argue over facts with you. we're going to mess up the thread. there's some good info here and i don't want it to be lost by a 3 page argument, followed by the thread being closed by a mod. if you want to run a 160* thermostat, you're perfectly entitled to. i just want to point out some information showing that it's actually worse to do so. sometimes, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but i'm just hoping i can win one of those old dogs over.

 

water mixes with oil and makes a mikshake typed substance(which, Yes, when let sit will separate into your water on oil)...It happens all the time in marine engine(which are cooled with lake water) when a block/water jacket cracks and gets into the oil.

Also i have been runnin a 160 tstat and my engine was clean when taken apart...so since the detergents are heat activated I must have been gettin it up to temp even with that terrible 160 tstat?

 

you are just a dumb college kid, like I am, except i am passed the "know it all stage"
that you seem to be stuck in......typical online mechanic... i think I read you are an engineering student as am I at Purdue. Big difference tho...I turn my own wrenches and have knowledge based on doing and not on what tens of thousands of other people on a message board have said...I know you like to get the last word...so i will wait for it and then laugh again.

 

If your MPGs drop I wonder if using thinner oil would help.
It's pretty dry around here so I have no worries about water in the oil, atleast in the summer. For the rest of the year the water that might get in there should start evaporating when the oil temperature gets above the dew point anyway.