lower thermostat or not ?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
From: Hattiesburg MS
lower thermostat or not ? does anyone know what the thermostat openint temp is on a stock ls1 ? i am thinking about getting a lower thermostat but i have heard that if you go too low on a car it would sacrifice power and gas mileage but they are okay for a high horespower motor does anyone know anything about this ?
I recently bought a stock thermostat from the local O'Reillys and it was a 186. I had a 160 in my '99, but I think the biggest difference would be switching the fans to turn on at a lower temp.
Well if you do the 160 with your mods, you will need a tune for them to tell the PCM the 160 is there, and they will probably adjust the fans as well.
I just did the 160, I am NOT putting down 400+ hp, but I figure it will help in the long run.
Have you had the water pump replaced on your car yet?
I just did the 160, I am NOT putting down 400+ hp, but I figure it will help in the long run.
Have you had the water pump replaced on your car yet?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
From: Hattiesburg MS
the only mods i have so far are a lid, filter, msd wires, ngk plugs, bellow, i got a tuned MAF sensor and ported it, and i just finished porting my throttle body so basically all my air intake mods are done except for the lower part of the airbox which i am going to mod
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I've got news for yall, modern day cars run hotter period. its actually better that they run a little warmer. having all these low temp thermostats arent doing a damn thing for yall.
My best advice is to get no lower than a 180* but evenb etter yet is just have a tuner kick the fans on earlier instead.
My best advice is to get no lower than a 180* but evenb etter yet is just have a tuner kick the fans on earlier instead.
New cars run hotter because emissions regulations require less polutants. By running hotter you burn all that off. How can you turn on the fans early if your thrmo isnt open.You would need both fans on early and lower t-stat for it to work.By coolng runnning temps the engin should run better.
I've got news for yall, modern day cars run hotter period. its actually better that they run a little warmer. having all these low temp thermostats arent doing a damn thing for yall.
My best advice is to get no lower than a 180* but evenb etter yet is just have a tuner kick the fans on earlier instead.
My best advice is to get no lower than a 180* but evenb etter yet is just have a tuner kick the fans on earlier instead.
Correct me if I am wrong. but the stock T-Stat is in the 195+ range..?
Unless you change the temp of when the Fans turn on.. it is not much help to put a lower T-Stat in.. I will just take a bit longer to warm up. As other have said. The modern engine are designed to run at the hotter temps... this is due to emission.
Unless you change the temp of when the Fans turn on.. it is not much help to put a lower T-Stat in.. I will just take a bit longer to warm up. As other have said. The modern engine are designed to run at the hotter temps... this is due to emission.
Local Pontiac dealer put an LS2 waterpump on my Formula about 2 years ago. I just did the 160 thermo and found out that I really needed an GTO thermo instead. The diffrence is that the thermo and housing are seperate on the LS2's, but together as one on the LS1's.
I dont care what anybody says, the thermo helps alot, especially down here in FL, before my 160F thermo, my stock thermostat would open at 195F and the fans would come on at like 220 thats hotter than **** right there!!! Thats boiling temp, correct me if I'm wrong, hell I love my t-stat!!!
I dont care what anybody says, the thermo helps alot, especially down here in FL, before my 160F thermo, my stock thermostat would open at 195F and the fans would come on at like 220 thats hotter than **** right there!!! Thats boiling temp, correct me if I'm wrong, hell I love my t-stat!!!
An engine will only run as low as the supporting system will allow it to. If your car is heavily modded, it probably won't stay at 160 no matter what your t-stat is or your fans are set at. But running at 190 or higher is only designed to burn off more emission's, it's not really good for your engine. The comfort range is probably 160-180. If your car is a daily driver and you live in a cold climate, 160 might be too cool to get adequate heat in the car. I would go with a 160 or 180 t-stat and have the fans programmed to turn on sooner. The fans don't run while you're cruising down the road in open air, the radiator cools the coolant down with the air flowing through it. When you get stuck in traffic it will go up until the fans kick on. I have a 160 t-stat in my 70 SS396 and it runs around 180-190 in the summer and will drop down to a true 160 in the winter. I have almost no heat inside in the winter. I would recommend the 160 or 180.
An engine will only run as low as the supporting system will allow it to. If your car is heavily modded, it probably won't stay at 160 no matter what your t-stat is or your fans are set at. But running at 190 or higher is only designed to burn off more emission's, it's not really good for your engine. The comfort range is probably 160-180. If your car is a daily driver and you live in a cold climate, 160 might be too cool to get adequate heat in the car. I would go with a 160 or 180 t-stat and have the fans programmed to turn on sooner. The fans don't run while you're cruising down the road in open air, the radiator cools the coolant down with the air flowing through it. When you get stuck in traffic it will go up until the fans kick on. I have a 160 t-stat in my 70 SS396 and it runs around 180-190 in the summer and will drop down to a true 160 in the winter. I have almost no heat inside in the winter. I would recommend the 160 or 180.