Question: 160 or 180 Degree Thermo?

[Donne Trav]

How can you tell the difference between a 160 degree thermo and a 180 degree thermo?
Thanks

 

[BigJimZ16]

How can you tell the difference between a 160 degree thermo and a 180 degree thermo?
Thanks

One opens at 160* and the other opens at 180*... there, that was easy...

 

[BigJimZ16]

One opens at 160* and the other opens at 180*... there, that was easy...

Seriously though, the function of the thermostat is to determine what temperature the cooling system begins functioning at. The higher the thermostat rating, the the higher the temperature the coolant needs to be before it starts to circulate through the radiator.

 

[Tuna]

The thermostat controls the lower limit of a stabilized engine temperature.

The fan turn on temps control the upper limit of a stabilized engine temperature

If it's 25 below outside with a 160 stat, the temp gauge may never move up much above 170 and that may not be warm enough to heat the interior of the car properly or evaporate the moisture that collects inside the engine. If all you do is race the car, the 160 stat may help keep the engine cooler and allow for a bit more power. For a street car, a 160 stat may not be the best choice.

I used a 160 stat in my old '92 Vette but probably should not have since it was primary a street car. Then again, that was my first experience with "modern" engines that tend to run a lot hotter than my previous cars - and by design - and I was trying to make it work like what I was used to seeing.

 

[93Rubie]

Most modern engines have t-stats that are even higher than 180. The LT1/LT4's actually run cooler than newer 2000+ engines. My old 2001 Ford Focus ran 200+ all the time. That was factory. My 2013 Nissan Sentra does the same. Just stick with the 180, nothing to be gained on a street car or even a part time race car from the 160 IMHO. An all out race car....that is a different story.

My stock LT1 stat said "J1 180" on it. Also has STC stamped on it as well. 54mm USA too.

 

[John Robinson]

I echo what others have said about running the specified t stat. Remember the ecm and the whole engine management system was designed for the water temp to be at a certain level. If your car is running at 217 to 220 consistently lowering the t stat probable won't change it that much. Last summer my car would get to 240 in traffic I changed out the t stat and flushed the radiator and put on a new cap and it still ran about the same temp. Finally after putting it off for several years I took the radiator shroud off and used a hose to spray water through the radiator fins from the back side. I could not believe the dirt that I washed out of the fins. Now the car runs 195 to 197 in traffic with the factory recommended 190 t stat. In stop and go traffic the highest I have seen it get now in 85 degree heat is about 217 but it comes right back down as soon as the car starts to move. Buy the way I looked at the temp gage in my 06 Pontiac and discovered that it was running 225 by design. Don't forget heat is energy and that energy is used to provide a cleaner running engine and a more efficient engine (as in better gas mileage). As for telling what temp the t stat is you can do what I do. Put the t stat in a pan of water and put it on the stove. Now heat the water and watch for the stat to open while using a baking thermometer to watch the water temp. Now you know two things the temp and if the stat is working properly