160 or 180 thermostat

Spike · September 24, 2001

I am planning on re-programing My 2001 6.0. I am debating on which thermostat to use.A 160 or 180 degree. Stock is 195 degree. Could anyone give me some insight, from experence. I will be on using 87 octane gas.

chevy4x4trucks · September 24, 2001

I think it depends on what type of climate you live in. Since I live in WI I'd go with a 180, if I lived down south I'd go 160. Also, if you're going to modify it for racing the 160 would be better. But if you're using it as a truck (not too much heavy towing) go 180

quadcab4x4 · September 28, 2001

I'm with chevy4x4trucks, I got the 180 degree as I live in NY. With the use of the 160 degree winter time heating could become a problem, that is unless you switch back to the stock 195 degree for a few months.

BTW- At $50 a pop I'd make sure it's the one you want.

LokiSLE · September 30, 2001

Yeah I am going with the 180 because it is a daily driver.

PDQrado · October 16, 2001

Have the best of both worlds! Stock thermostat is adjustable. Read my 10/15 post under Chips, FIPKs, Exhaust topic in Engines/Transmissions. Refer to item#3.

robz71 · October 18, 2001

Do they make that big of a difference. I installed the hpp3 and it suggests that you change the thermostat. Live in Calif what one would be the best to get if they help performance at all.

chevy4x4trucks · October 18, 2001

Well I would say if your temp is going to be over 60 degrees all year round go w/ the 160, but if you live in a northern area or canada where it freezes in the winter go w/ a 180. The reason for the lower temp thermostat is to prevent engine detonation at high temps.

76BBSub · October 18, 2001

Quote from robz71, posted on Oct. 18 2001,01:41

Do they make that big of a difference. I installed the hpp3 and it suggests that you change the thermostat. Live in Calif what one would be the best to get if they help performance at all.

Just changing the 'stat doesn't make any noticeable difference. What HyperTech really wants to sell is a package of small changes that add up to some noticeable power increases. If you have the PowerProgrammer I would go ahead and change the 'stat to fully take advantage of the system. I recommend a 160F stat, if you're going to do it you might as well go for it all. For those without the PP, don't bother changing the 'stat, you won't notice a difference.

Engines need a certain amount of heat to be efficient. If the combustion chamber is too cool, combustion is ineffient, this is why your engine has a choke mechanism (or programming, in the case of FI). The only part of the engine that likes to be relatively cool is the intake tract. Cooler air is more dense, therefore has more oxygen, therefore makes more power per cubic inch. That's what Hypertech is counting on with their replacement thermostat. Also allows them to run a little more advance without pre-ignition, assuming the rest of the engine and cooling system are in good condition.

A common misconception about automotive thermostats is that they keep the coolant at a certain temperature. Not exactly true. The thermostat prevents the water pump from circulating coolant from the engine through the radiator, thereby helping the engine warm up more quickly. Regardless of the outside temperature, -0 or 100 F, the thermostat will not open until you reach its set temperature. Once open, the only control it has over engine temperature is if the coolant drops below it's set point it will close again. If you have overheating problems, a lower t-stat will not help in the long run. It can help delay overheating by beginning coolant circulation more quickly, but it cannot help the engine or radiator to reject more heat.

But alas, I ramble...

Jeff

October 19, 2001

Just to add to Jeff's post:

One more thing that the T-stat does is restrict the flow of water so it can

a) stay in the block long enough to absorb the heat

b) stay in the radiator long enough to cool down

DO NOT EVER RUN YOUR VEHICLE WITHOUT A T-STAT.

Your temp gauge will read cool temps, but your cylinders will be burning up.

I have seen numerous people that have overheating problems and pull the 'stat as a solution. It's hard to convince some people that their water temp is not always a good indicator of their engine temp.

Tuck · October 20, 2001

Just out of curiousity...what temps are your trucks running with the Hypertech 160 stat? I have a 2000 Silverado 5.3L

with a 160 degree stat. It dropped normal range at cruising to about the second major bar on the gauge, which should be 185 degrees, if it starts at 160 and ends at 260, a 100 degree range) When I sit in traffic, it can still climb close to the 210 mark it used to sit at.....

Does anything really change here?

Markeaux · October 23, 2001

If you change the thermostat you must also change the fan temp point otherwise you don't get the full value of a reduced temp stat ... for example, on a 98 Z28 w/ 160 stat you could use an HPP to reprogram the electric fans for that temp, similarly for 180 ... but don't most/all trucks have a non-programmable clutch-style fan? I think so ... so the clutch/fan needs to be changed/modified (which the HPP can't do). Mark

76BBSub · October 23, 2001

I believe the newer trucks have electric fans, but it's been too long since I looked under the hood of my old '99...

One thing to keep in mind about the temp gauge in your truck, the accuracy is quite questionable. These things are just indicators, and you can't accurately interpolate a temperature based on the points indicated, you will be lucky to get +/- 10 degrees. Makes it important to know where your truck normally runs based on your gauge so you have an accurate reference point, regardless of the exact number that it indicates.

Jeff

CMNTMXR81 · October 25, 2001

In my Camaro I have a 160 degree thermostat. But it's an 11.5:1 compression built LS1, so the cooler I can run it the better. In my truck, I have 180 degree t-stats. Sufficiently cooler than stock but not too cool.