THERMOSTATS

{Thermostat}
[http://redfox340.tripod.com/wbodyperformance/id8.html.]

Q: Can I install a 180 - degree thermostat in my vehicle? A: A 180 - degree stat will work perfectly fine, as will a 160 degree stat. The idea behind the cooler stat is to lower the operating temperature of the engine, and for cars with stock intake setups, to lower intake air temp. However the intake air is not going to matter by the thermostat nearly as much as underhood temps from the exhaust system, or the amount of air flowing into the engine bay (while driving, sitting idle doesnt do much).

So what does lowering the thermostat rating really do? The cylinder walls are cooler and that means they dont expand as much. Its probably not even noticable for a 180 thermostat, but a 160 thermostat may have an effect on cylinder wall wear. It may still be negligable but something to take precautionary measures. Yet, the lower engine temp will also mean cooler heads and intake manifolds (though the intake charge itself will cool the intakes off while driving). Lower head temps can help against pre-detonation.

The negative effects of a lower stat include higher emissions, possibility for increased cylinder wear, and more frequent oil changes. Oil needs to reach a certain temp to burn off unwanted contaminants in the oil system. It is unproven thus far as to what effect the coolant temp will actually have on the oil temp, but again, want to mention all aspects of the modification.

The computer / electrical side of running a low tempreture thermostat is mostly fine. There are very few parts of the programming that deal with the tempreture range around the stock thermostat settings. You would be hard pressed to notice anything at all with a scan tool, let alone driving. Your car will go into 'closed loop' with a 160, 180, or 195 degree thermostat. As long as the coolant reaches about 4 degrees F, you will not have an issue with the closed loop operation. The rumors about excessive MPG losses are again, rumors. It may get worse milage because of the other factors from the cooler stat, but the computer is not dumping in fuel trying to reach 195 degrees.

However, to see the full effects of a lower tempreture thermostat, you may want to install a manual fan switch or have your computer programmed to turn the fans on close to your themostat temperature. Also, an alternative, based on application, you can match the turn - on period of the radiator fans to start up near or at stock thermostat, then getting a cooler thermostat; this too will help when you are driving
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