It seems I have heard a lot of bs about cooler thermostats and stuff, like they make your engine perform better or something which seems preposterous but I have heard so much now I am questioning if therre is legitimacy to it. You are throwing away heat that you wast instead of using it for power, the newest prototype engines are working on hotter and hotter thermostats to get higher power and efficiency. I know it changes the tune to get more gas but still, any comments?

 

my LT1 was detonating slightly and the cooler water running through the heads got rid of spark knock...which kept the ecu from pulling timing...which is where I found about 15whp. Other engines that aren't as close to the edge of detonation wouldn't benefit as much. The cooler water running through the heads keeps the intake charge cooler and denser...just a bit though. Smokey used to say keep the heads cool and the block hot....the hot block kept the bores bigger for less friction.

 

The performance benefit is really from the possibility of introducing a bit more timing with the motor cooler. Trade-off (if not careful and too cool) is shorter engine life and oil that doesn't heat enough.

 

A lower temp thermostat is a bad idea for anyone but drag racers because it will reduce cooling capacity. This is because the rate at which heat is removed is related to the difference between coolant temperature and ambient air temperature. Drag racers benefit slightly because intake air temps soar while waiting in staging lanes. A cooler engine gives you higher intake air density, especially during the first part of a run.

 

Well, yes your cooling capactity will be lower if your engine coolant is 160deg vs 210 degrees. But your engine is still COOLER.

I could run my engine at 260deg and have a much BETTER cooling capacity, but it would be a dumb idea...