180° thermostat

[whitey]

Looking to buy a 180° thermostat, but im a little weary of buying one online due to the fact of getting a wrong part like i received with rear brake shoes from rockauto. Anybody know where to buy one from? Part number/brand to go with? Should i run colder plugs with it, such as i believe ngk tr6? Thanks guys.

[Blown3.8]

Stockers are 188 I would go with a 170.

[ctrlraven]

Stant #14138 from Advance
Napa #THM109, there may be 2 temperature ratings for this #, make sure to get the 180.

[whitey]

What would be the benefit in going 170° opposed to 180° in an n/a car?

[fastblackmerc]

What would be the benefit in going 170° opposed to 180° in an n/a car?

None.... in fact there is no advantage in going with a lower stat unless your tune accounts for it.

[fastblackmerc]

This is from Reische Performance, which IMHO makes the best 170 degree thermostat.

http://reischeperformance.com/index.html


Will I benefit from a low temperature thermostat?

"
A lot of people ask me this question and the short answer is... probably. But typically I don't recommend one if your engine is still running on the stock tuning. Simply because a cooler engine does not necessarily make much more horsepower. Sure you may lose a few degrees of incoming air temperature and see some small gains but primarily I like to think of lower coolant temperatures as protection against engine-damaging detonation. Remember the knocking sound you heard when trying to accelerate an overheating vehicle? That is detonation and this can quickly destroy a high horsepower engine being pushed to maximum performance. But aside from possibly saving your engine there are a couple ways that a low temp thermostat can actually help make more power:

An engine at 185° can run more timing advance safely than one running at 205° so tuning, along with a low temp thermostat, can make some significant gains. So if you're using a handheld programmer, chip or custom tune then yes, I definitely recommend one of our 170° thermostats. Running an engine cooler has been an A-B-C of high performance since the early days of hot rodding, ask your dad or grandfather. Those guys were pulling their thermostats out or drilling holes in them because they knew they could run more timing by doing so.

I remember one time racing another identical vehicle with similar modifications 3 times consecutively. The first run was very close with me barely edging him out. The second run I pulled away noticeably harder and by the 3rd run I was just walking away... Why? Cooling mods... his thermostat and intercooler heat exchanger were stock. Keep the heat out and maintain more consistent horsepower.

What are the possible negative effects of a low temperature thermostat?

If the engine does not reach a high enough temp for the computer to leave warm-up mode then fuel economy will drop dramatically. This is the reason we do not produce or recommend for street use: 160° thermostats, running no thermostat or drilling holes in a thermostat. However in all the time we've been producing our 170° Performance Thermostats there has not been one complaint of anyone losing fuel economy. I really believe 170° is the best balance overall and apparently Subaru agrees as 170° is OEM temp for many of their late model engines.

Another concern is oil temperature and viscosity. If the engine oil does not get hot enough to burn off certain contaminants then the oil's effective life will be reduced. Lab testing has not shown any significant contaminant increases using our 170° thermostats in cold weather, but to be safe, I recommend changing your oil more frequently if you plan to operate your vehicle regularly in cold climates. Also, effective oil viscosity is increased with lower temperatures so I would recommend using a quality 0W-30 (or 5W-30) synthetic oil for most late model applications. Even though Ford recommends 5W-50 oil for the GT500 I would still recommend the 30W oils stated above when it is being operated regularly in cold weather with our 170° thermostat installed.

In extreme cold environments it may be best to run an OEM temp thermostat but above all just monitor your coolant temperature carefully when you have concerns. If you observe sustained engine coolant temps below 165° then I recommend swapping in the OEM thermostat for the colder months."

[whitey]

Right now, my car runs generally around 200° whether its winter or summer. If stock thermostat is 188(i thought ive read 195°) then im getting 12° warmer. If i run a 180°, temp would be around 192°, and a 170° would be at 182°… i figure around 190 is best, 180 would be a bit low IMHO.

[Marauderjack]

I agree with Jim since I have a 180* T-stat and my coolant temps run 190* anyway and a little hotter in Summer!!:bandit:

The cooling system is designed to remove only so much heat and as I see it the cooler T-stat just makes it take a little longer to reach equilibrium!!:cool:

I'd leave whatcha got in there!!:beer:

[fastblackmerc]

Right now, my car runs generally around 200° whether its winter or summer. If stock thermostat is 188(i thought ive read 195°) then im getting 12° warmer. If i run a 180°, temp would be around 192°, and a 170° would be at 182°… i figure around 190 is best, 180 would be a bit low IMHO.

You have a problem if your running at 200 degrees :eek:. I have a 180 and a tune. Never gets over 192. I have a new tune from Marto that will take in to account the Reische Performance 170 I'll be adding soon.

[ctrlraven]

With a 180* t-stat you should on average be running 188-190*.

I have been running a 180* t-stat for 8 years now, no problems.

Winter weather the car runs 184-190, summer weather 190-197 (hot humid days with a/c off, with a/c on 197-200*)

[whitey]

You have a problem if your running at 200 degrees :eek:. I have a 180 and a tune. Never gets over 192. I have a new tune from Marto that will take in to account the Reische Performance 170 I'll be adding soon.

Well i figure the coolant needs to be changed, cot needs to be painted, and the thermostat is probably never been changed. 160k miles, it aint going to run like new... looking to do this tomorrow with the warmer temps right now.

Thanks for the part numbers Chris!

[ctrlraven]

Well i figure the coolant needs to be changed, cot needs to be painted, and the thermostat is probably never been changed. 160k miles, it aint going to run like new... looking to do this tomorrow with the warmer temps right now.

Thanks for the part numbers Chris!
No problem, when you change the t-stat TAKE NOTE of the orientation direction as it can fit in the right way or the wrong way. lol You'll kick yourself in the azz in if you put it in the wrong way and then have to open the system back up.

Get new O-rings for the COT while you are at it.
Ford p/n 391533-S100 (for the ends)
Not sure what the COT plug o-ring p/n is

[Seneca]

If ur cross over is anything like richards was ur gonna have fun getting it out. It was corroded very bad. Spray it with lube and take ur time.

[whitey]

If ur cross over is anything like richards was ur gonna have fun getting it out. It was corroded very bad. Spray it with lube and take ur time.

So ive heard:) i figure i might have to tap/hit it out with hammer and a block of wood to protect from denting it. Tomorrow morning it is, new 180° thermostat, 2 new cot orings, some gloss black engine paint, sand paper, and ultra black silicone rtv.....just need some beer.

[Zack]

You have a problem if your running at 200 degrees :eek:. I have a 180 and a tune. Never gets over 192. I have a new tune from Marto that will take in to account the Reische Performance 170 I'll be adding soon.

A stock Marauder will run in the low 200's all day long around town, since the high setting of the fan is not programmed to come on til 210 degrees.

So no, he doesn't have a problem.

[GreekGod]

Please consider my critiques about thermostat recommendations:

1) The thermostat degree rating is the temp' the 'stat starts to open -- it is not the fully open rating

2) Horsepower gains might be relevant in a racing situation (where money or ego is involved), but are irrelevant when driving on the street. Perhaps a midrange torque gain might make a very small performance difference

3) It is my understanding our Marauder has a knock sensor, that is used by the ECM to retard timing when using low octane fuel, or high ambient temp's, such as high desert mountains in summertime driving

4) Consider 3 quotes:

"A NASCAR Nextel Cup engine runs around 220 degrees F"


"Smokey thought that 200° was the lower limit for making serious power. It's about the conservation of engine heat, turning it into power instead of dissipating it through the cooling system"


(NASCAR/Daytona): "Normal water temperature during races is around 240 degrees"

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[whitey]

Installed today, no leaks, cot couldve been worse to remove, but the 2lb maul got it, and didn't really get the results i wanted with painting it...still looks like crap, but atleast the rust is gone. Running at 186° 188° average. Thanks again guys!