Cooling system
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Joined: May 2009
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From: Hamburg, N.Y.
Cooling system I'm quite new to the LS1 technology so I need some help. I've noticed that one of the mods is installing a 160* thermostat. I think I read something saying that the cooling fans kick on in the 195*-205* range. Do I have to change or adapt something to make the fans come on sooner to work with the 160* thermostat? Thanks for any help.
you will need a tune to make the fans come on sooner... i think the 160 thermostats are a waste of money... i have a stock thermostat in mine and after a tune my temp never rises above 185 degress period... doesn't matter if i'm sitting in traffic with the ac on, nothing changes... i have a 98 also so my gauge actually works lol... the 99-02 cars have a dummy gauge and will stay around 205 after it's warmed up and won't budge unless it's overheating and by that time it's prob too late
you will need a tune to make the fans come on sooner... i think the 160 thermostats are a waste of money... i have a stock thermostat in mine and after a tune my temp never rises above 185 degress period... doesn't matter if i'm sitting in traffic with the ac on, nothing changes... i have a 98 also so my gauge actually works lol... the 99-02 cars have a dummy gauge and will stay around 205 after it's warmed up and won't budge unless it's overheating and by that time it's prob too late
agreed. That thermo is a waste of $$. I had one when I purchased the car and swapped it out for a stock 195* thermo. I have read numerous things on this and I noticed that the car definately runs better when it gets up to full operating temp rather than having that thermo. Spend your money on something better.
mark jr.
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 163
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From: Hamburg, N.Y.
agreed. That thermo is a waste of $$. I had one when I purchased the car and swapped it out for a stock 195* thermo. I have read numerous things on this and I noticed that the car definately runs better when it gets up to full operating temp rather than having that thermo. Spend your money on something better.
mark jr.
mark jr.
you don't HAVE to change your fan settings.
a lower temp thermostat will keep the engine running cooler any time you are moving. the only time the fans come into play is when sitting still with no airflow over the radiator.
and even then, the stock setting will (should) keep the engine perfectly safe. you just may not get as good of performance due to the much higher heat.
i ran a lower stat for years, on 3 different Fbodies, without ever tuning the fans. every time i drove i could see the cooler temps and benefited (albeit small) from it. later on i installed a fan switch to allow me to cool the car down as needed when stuck in traffic or sitting in the staging lanes.
i know from watching the scanner that with a 160* stat my car would not cool down past 172-173* even with the fan switch on HIGH. this was in a mild florida temperature.
a cooler running engine can allow for a more aggressive tune, which can yield more power.
a lower temp thermostat will keep the engine running cooler any time you are moving. the only time the fans come into play is when sitting still with no airflow over the radiator.
and even then, the stock setting will (should) keep the engine perfectly safe. you just may not get as good of performance due to the much higher heat.
i ran a lower stat for years, on 3 different Fbodies, without ever tuning the fans. every time i drove i could see the cooler temps and benefited (albeit small) from it. later on i installed a fan switch to allow me to cool the car down as needed when stuck in traffic or sitting in the staging lanes.
i know from watching the scanner that with a 160* stat my car would not cool down past 172-173* even with the fan switch on HIGH. this was in a mild florida temperature.
a cooler running engine can allow for a more aggressive tune, which can yield more power.
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
I am opposed to 160 t-stats. LS1s generally run their best at higher temps, around 190-200.
Ideally, you want a nice warm combustion chamber and the coldest possibile air charge for best overall engine performance. This is true for any engine, not just an LS1.
Ideally, you want a nice warm combustion chamber and the coldest possibile air charge for best overall engine performance. This is true for any engine, not just an LS1.
