160 thermostat opinions?

[f2502011]

What are everyone’s thoughts on 160 thermostats in a stock motor?

 

[okie4570]

The 190/195 degree oem never let me down as of yet. What's your cooling setup?

 

[DirtDonk]

Don’t do it.
I did it once and, among other things your heater will be useless.
If you live in Florida or another location that is typically warm, maybe that won’t be a big deal as far as your personal comfort goes. But your engine won’t like it.
It needs the hotter t-stat to come up to a reasonable operating temperature to heat the oil up to evaporate moisture and for everything to expand and for the combustion process to work properly.
Or at least at the peak of what it can be.

Sticking with 180 to 195 is my recommendation.

 

[Broncobowsher]

So you hate your engine and want it to die an early death I see.

A 190-195 will run longer, cleaner, more efficient, better mileage, heater works better too.

 

[f2502011]

Completely stock OEM cooling system parts. It runs normal temp when circulating and driving. If not moving and sitting idling it goes up some and it really goes up once you shut it off. That’s what makes me nervous. Ambient temp here is in the low 100s. It runs mostly in the middle of the gauge when driving. Idling for extended time with no airflow the gauge will go up past the middle. Shut it off then turn back on and it’s around 230 or so until cranking and getting it circulating again and then it’s around 200 or so. Modern cars typically run around 200 but when you cut them off and then back on they still are at 200. Maybe just paranoid. I know a 160 would open sooner but the overall amount of heat the engine inherently generates wouldn’t change.

 

[f2502011]

So you hate your engine and want it to die an early death I see.

A 190-195 will run longer, cleaner, more efficient, better mileage, heater works better too.

Yes of course isn’t that everyone’s goal

 

[okie4570]

Completely stock OEM cooling system parts. It runs normal temp when circulating and driving. If not moving and sitting idling it goes up some and it really goes up once you shut it off. That’s what makes me nervous. Ambient temp here is in the low 100s. It runs mostly in the middle of the gauge when driving. Idling for extended time with no airflow the gauge will go up past the middle. Shut it off then turn back on and it’s around 230 or so until cranking and getting it circulating again and then it’s around 200 or so. Modern cars typically run around 200 but when you cut them off and then back on they still are at 200. Maybe just paranoid. I know a 160 would open sooner but the overall amount of heat the engine inherently generates wouldn’t change.

There's nothing abnormal about what you described imo. I run a stock 302, qjet carb, shroud, 7 blade fan, aluminum radiator, 195 thermostat and we crawl in hot weather (mid 90s) with no issues. Crawling temps around 200-210. Temp gauge will be pegged upon start up if we take a 15 min break or something then immediately cool down to 190 until we start crawling again.

 

[Yeller]

Said it before and say it again. Is it boiling? Is it puking coolant? If not it’s not overheating. If it’s running 250 all the time there is an issue but what you are describing is perfectly normal.

 

[Apogee]

It sounds like your cooling system is doing what it's supposed to, more or less. In 100°F ambient temps, 200°F running temps are great, and anything under 220°-230°F can be tolerated for intermittent durations without any major issues or oil degradation. That said, if you want it to continue to cool when you shut it off, then you'll need to add an electric fan and wire it like a modern application where it continues to cool even when shut off, though in my experience, mechanical fans do a better job overall in most applications. If it were my rig, I'd add an engine oil cooler and call probably call it a day...you could do a passive cooler or one with an electric powered fan, but considering your engine oil absorbs a large portion of the heat and has nowhere to dump it, that's where I'd start.

Tobin

 

[Broncobowsher]

That is heat soak. Any yes, new cars do it as well. Most new cars have computer buffered gauges.

 

[DirtDonk]

Completely stock OEM cooling system parts. It runs normal temp when circulating and driving.

Then if something has changed and it's not working properly, then putting in a cooler thermostat is a Band-Aid and probably won't fix anything. Need to find out why it's changed.
But so far it sounds like you're in good shape.

If not moving and sitting idling it goes up some and it really goes up once you shut it off. That’s what makes me nervous.

Like everyone else said, that's how things work. Perfectly normal and not dangerous.
Because coolant is no longer circulating, the "leftover" heat in the cylinder heads is soaking into the still waters and heating them up and the gauge reflects that. But since nothing is running, nothing is in danger. Cast iron can handle a whole lot more than anything we're going to see with normal heat-soak.
And while the pressure is also building within the system, the only result is a burp out the overflow tube. Hopefully into an overflow/recovery tank.

Ambient temp here is in the low 100s. It runs mostly in the middle of the gauge when driving. Idling for extended time with no airflow the gauge will go up past the middle.

And it will still do that with a 160 degree stat. Mine always did...
It will run cooler normally (too cool) but when those same circumstances arise it will most likely go back up to the higher zone. Not being limited to just a certain increase, it will go up to where it was before.
The only time mine ever went above rated temps (first with 180 then with 160 and then with 190-ish) was when I was stuck in traffic on a tight technical trail in the summer, or on a long freeway blast over 70mph.
In both situations it would go to just over 200 degrees no matter which thermostat was in use.

Shut it off then turn back on and it’s around 230 or so until cranking and getting it circulating again and then it’s around 200 or so. Modern cars typically run around 200 but when you cut them off and then back on they still are at 200. Maybe just paranoid. I know a 160 would open sooner but the overall amount of heat the engine inherently generates wouldn’t change.

Correct on both counts.
As was said, the modern cars use sensors and sending units completely differently from what we have, so not really a good comparison in every aspect.
Seeing 230 during a heat-soak cycle is a non-event. Seeing it while driving would be cause for keeping your eye on the gauge. Not to stop immediately (since 230 is still not really overheating much), but to keep a close eye on to make sure it does not go farther. And to figure out why it's doing it.

Sounds like you're in good shape so far.

Paul

 

[Rustytruck]

good way to justify a new engine in a few years. cold engine wears a taper in the cylinder bore then the rings cant keep up and you get oil blow bye. so start planning on a new motor you really want, this is why to 5.0 engines last so long the higher engine temperature really helps.

 

[f2502011]

Sounds like it’s behaving as it should. I’ll leave well enough alone.