mnf8688

So I installed a 180 thermostat today from Lingenfelter. Drove all day on the Highways and Roads. No change has occured in the temperature. So I decided to go to the store and buy a Product from Royal Purple called Purple Ice which is suposed to lower the temp by 10 to 15 degrees. That did nothing either. Finally I decided to take my Diablo Predator and change the fan settings to come on much sooner and that still didnt help.
How come the temperature will not drop what so ever. Is there something im not doing right? The temp was origionally between 200 and 220 and now its still the same. What should i do to correct the problem and drop the temperature like it should be?

BlueSpeed

you haven't done anything wrong, I had similar experience, I put in a 180 stat and the temps actually went up a few degs over stock, 180 stats are too close to stock and dont seam to help lowering temps, I immediately took it out of the car.

I previously used redline water wetter with the stock stat and it was good for 1-2deg at best while cruising don't think you will get much more.

your best bet is a 160 deg stat. if you really want to lower the temps but it is possible to run too low and get a DIC warning code, from reading through the stat threads it seams that temps vary all over the place with aftermarket stats, you just have to get lucky and get a good one, I went back to stock with my predator tune and will stay that way unitl I can find a 160 stat with a target of 180 coolant temps, good luck

keyplyr

What's wrong with those numbers? That's where the temp is supposed to be.

HawaiiC6

You have a 180 thermostat which is very close to the OE thermostat which is if not mistaken 187, so you will not see any change.

To show a change you need to go to a 160 thermostat.

I guess you bought your thermostat from WCC.

LarryMJones

The thermostat won't lower temperature, it just keeps it from dropping below it's set point. If everything else is normal, outside temperature and engine load determine temperature. Have you checked your radiator for trash, or bugs, it may be partially blocked.
Some cheap thermostats have less free area than OEM ones, so the restriction is keeping the temp up. Another possibility is the thermostat is just not opening completely.
If the thermostat water passage looks as big as an OEM tstat, try putting it in a pan of hot water at 180 degrees and observe how much it opens, I have seen some that just won't open the full amount at any temperature. This will cut water pump flow significantly and the actual radiator capacity is reduced at lower flow rates.
You might repost in the Tech section and get more help.
LJ

mnf8688

thats where its suposed to be normally. now that i have the 180 temp installed it should be lower but it is exactly the same.

mnf8688

i bought it from lingenfelter but i am going tocontact them about it and see what they will do for me.

Vasta

Could someone around here explain to me the love affair everyone seems to have with the 160 stat? Engines are designed to run at about 200 to 220 decrees. They are more efficient and burn less gas and pollute less. All a 160 stat does is open sooner. It doesn't give you more power by making your engine run cooler.

Here is how thermostats work: (from how things work)

Any liquid-cooled car engine has a small device called the thermostat that sits between the engine and the radiator. The thermostat in most cars is about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Its job is to block the flow of coolant to the radiator until the engine has warmed up. When the engine is cold, no coolant flows through the engine. Once the engine reaches its operating temperature (generally about 200 degrees F, 95 degrees C), the thermostat opens. By letting the engine warm up as quickly as possible, the thermostat reduces engine wear, deposits and emissions.

If you ever have the chance to test one, a thermostat is an amazing thing to watch because what they do seems impossible. You can put one in a pot of boiling water on the stove. As it heats up, its valve opens about an inch, apparently by magic! If you'd like to try this yourself, go to a car parts store and buy one for a couple of bucks.

I'm all ears.

keyplyr

bassvet

Both mine run 200-220 all the time, you mean thats not normal???

FortMorganAl

A car thermostat only controls when the engine block starts cooling not how much cooling occurs. It maintains a minimum temperature and does nothing for the maximum. The normal operating temperature is determined by the size of the radiator and the air flow across it.

The engine is creating the same amount of waste heat no matter what thermostat you have. That heat has to be transfered to the radiator where air carries it away. If you try to lower the water temperature in the radiator the air will carry away less heat causing the engine temperature to rise. In other words, the balance where the energy created by the engine is equal to the energy removed by the air occurs at only one temperature differential. If it ran 220 degrees on the highway stock it will run 220 degrees on the highway with a 50 degree thermostat.

The advantage of a lower temperature thermostat is in the warmup period. If you want efficient normal operation you use a higher temperature thermostat to get up to temperature faster. If you want a colder air charge which may produce a little more power for a few minutes after a cold start you want a colder thermostat to try to remove some heat earlier.

BriscoCounty

I'll agree with your agree! Guys have been putting 160-180 thermostats in LSx and other engines for years, and I never understood the fascination with it.

davekp78

I don't think so.
With a 160 stat, at cruise the balance you speak of gives a temp of about 180 at the measuring point. (temperature sender in the block)
With the OEM stat the balance point is about 197 on my '07.
The radiator has the ability to keep the coolant temp quite low (well below 180) provided sufficient air is moved through it.
The difference between the two stats is due to the difference the stats allow the coolant to flow.
What temp stat do you have in your car? I'll bet it isn't a 160. If you actually had a 160 in you car you would see about 180 at cruise.

carpe dm

Purple Ice, Redline Water wetter, etc., will not work well in a standard coolant mix. Waste of money! If you can and choose to use a higher water over coolant mix, they may help reduce temps a bit. Your money is better spent on some good wax, IMHO.

degaux

..I'm with you, Mike

FEAR

not that conmplicated, stock my car ran at 200-220, now with 160 stat it runs at 150 to 170. still with me? good.

cooler engine= cooler under hood temps.

cooler under hood temps mean cooler air into the motor. our computers pull timing out of them when the inlet temp is higher, therfore the lower underhood temps, besides the benefits of the colder air, mean more power because the compurte wont pull all the timing when making more power

Vasta

Forget about all the rest of the stuff you mentioned for a minute. I want to talk about the first part of your reply.

Tell me how a 160 stat lowers my motors temp? The optimal running temperature is controlled by the size and airflow of a radiator that the factory decides is correct. All the stat does is open up when it gets to that temp. (in this case 160) After that the engine will keep on warming up till it reached it's normal operating temp. Which is around 200 in the LS's.

JJC5

A 160 stat stays open at 160 and beyond. If you are cruising at hwy speeds, there is enough airflow passing through the radiator to keep it close to that depending on the ambient air temperature of course. When you are going slow or stopped, there is little airflow and your temp will rise unless the fans kick on at a temp lower than stock setting. The engine does not have a "happy temperature" that it will maintain as said earlier. It is only dependant on the radiator and how much the radiator is cooled by air. Hypothetically, if your fans never came on while you werre standing still, you would eventually overheat.

Camaro4Life

changing your Tstat is one of those mods that unless your building a crazy motor, its a waste of money. The best performance from your motor is at the stock temperature.

Vasta

So when I'm driving around normally, my stock thermostat is actually shutting down to keep the temperature up to around 200?