Ok I need answer to something of a myth I have been hearing. I plan on buying an Hypertech 160 Degree Thermostat but I heard that since the temp setting is so low it actually will reduce the life of my LT1. Something about the piston sleeves staying to tight causing the rings to go out quicker. I could understand this say if the engine stayed around 100 degrees, but the 160 thermostat should be hot enough right?

 

The hypertech t-stat itself wont make your motor run any cooler. You would need to have your fans reprogrammed to turn on earlier to go with your thermostat....but my buddies car with the 160thermo and his hypertech reprogrammed fans sits right above 160....and its a pretty sight

 

never heard about that, but I think your car has to hit a certain temp to enter closed loop. So that might cause a lil performance difference.

 

Well, for one, the LT1 doesn't have piston sleeves. Two, car should enter closed loop around 155 degrees Farenheit.

 

What he said

 

The 160 thermo will lower your temperature to a very cool 140-160 mark,but in cool weather the needle may seem to be at 120 most of the time(NYC).

You do NOT need to have your fans and jive reprogrammed, the thermostat alone will change the engine's operating temperature. Whoever told you that is just jiving.

Now the myth you have heard about it affecting engine life...?....this "myth" my friend has a grain of truth to it and it runs all the way back to the factory,
you see the factory tested and researched the engine to operate at 195 degrees(don't qoute me)this was the temperature they tested the oil to be warmed up to, to provide it's best lubrication AND protection.

So in essence cooling that temperature too far down takes that "factory" tested and researched value out of the equation and in to your own little world of testing and research with probably nowhere near the factory budget and experience. But what is true is the performace advantage of cooling the operating temperature and the AIR the engine intakes down, so you have to look at it from a balanced point. You want to cool off a little for the performance advantage but not too much to wear the motor.

What did I do?? with my engine at 120 in NYC during the winter months??
I took the 160 back out and in it's place went a 180 which I kept in her for 2 years this kept me cooler than stock at 160-180. Then I moved to Florida. And on hot summer days it was hitting 185-190 and never ran below 180.
Lucky for me I never threw out the 160.
The 160 went back in. I run at a cool 140-150. ALWAYS. The thing never budges. And I'm comfortable with the added insurance on HOT HOT days.

Can I recommend the 160 in cold weather? No way no how.
Is it just a myth? I seriously don't think so. Running 120 on cold days is too far from what GM intended and tested.
If your in hot weather go for the 160.
If you get some cold do the 180.

Just .02 cents worth, good luck and play hard.

 

I agree that a 180 is optimal for cold weather and a 160 optimal for hot weather, however, I've never heard of any engine running cooler than 170 degrees regardless of stat. My 160 stat allows me to run about 170-175 constantly in all conditions and I was tickled with that. Unless those gauges are inaccurate, I've never heard of ANY engine running as cool as 120 or even 140.

 

I don't see how an LT1 could run under 140 anyway. Isn't closed loop set around 140?

 

If he is getting his engine temp from an aftermarket scanner the reading will be a little different than the reading from your guage in the display. The display guage uses the sensor reading from the block between the numbers 1 and 3 cylinders(real block temperature), however an aftermarket scanner will give you a different reading from the waterpump sensor(close to the thermostat opening temperature). Anyway I have never heard of an Lt-1 running at 120 degrees. If you told me your car ran at 140 in Alaska I'd pull out the . Remember that the thermostat will close until the coolant reaches 160 degrees. I don't think its possible to go below that once the Tstat has opened. Which sensor were you reading when you saw 120 degrees? I live in Jersey, we get mostly the same cold as in NY and I have never gone below 167-8 once the tstat initially opened.

Rich