Thermostat

[whopassfbody]

Where can I get a 180 degree thermostat and what is the part nunber. It seems hypertech only offers for the v8 engines...will these work?

[Dominic]

No you need one for the 3.8, its a 44mm unit and costs roughly $5 for a 180 stat. Try pepboys or autozone, I recommend a good Stant unit for the 180.

[Dewey]

Sorry to resurrect an old post, but I'm hoping for an explanation of how a thermostat change affects our cars. Does it trick the car into thinking it's running cooler? Or does it actually run cooler? Though the tech. database says our stock thermo's are the 195's, I thought they were more like 210's. Could someone clarify this for me?

[silicuda]

I am not sure if I am going to get this right, but my guess is that the 160 thermo will activate the fans that cool the motor when the motor temp reaches 160 degrees...

the 180 degree fan will activate the fans when the motor reaches 180 degrees... so of course 160 is cooler than 180 [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Seppo Kaitainen]

The pcm controls the fans. I think the pcm turns on the fans at 210. The tstat is a valve that opens at a temp of say 160(180 or 195), to let water flow through the block, heads, & etc.

[hockeyman]

cooler engines run better than hot ones. If you lower the temp, it'll run better. I have a 86 T/A that has a low temp thermo in it and I also installed a Cool-Can from Jegs to keep the fuel as cool as possible. Cold fuel is more dense than hot fuel, and it makes just a hint of a difference when accelerating.

-Marc

[Dewey]

Ok, so once the theromstat hits it's respective temperature (160/180/195) it opens to allow water to cool the engine, thus keeping it at that temperature?

[Seppo Kaitainen]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Dewey:
Ok, so once the theromstat hits it's respective temperature (160/180/195) it opens to allow water to cool the engine, thus keeping it at that temperature?<hr></blockquote>

In theory, yes.

[blk_camaro_convt]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Dewey:
Ok, so once the theromstat hits it's respective temperature (160/180/195) it opens to allow water to cool the engine, thus keeping it at that temperature?<hr></blockquote>Well the thermostat opens, let's the hot coolant flow into radiator, while fresh colder coolant is let in to replace the hot coolant that just went out...so I guess in a way what you said was right

[Dewey]

Looking in the Mods Encyclopedia, it states that the stock thermo is the 180. That's not right, is it?

[Dewey]

This what I'm looking for?

SLP Thermostat

[viper98885]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Dewey:
This what I'm looking for?

SLP Thermostat<hr></blockquote>

No, that's for a V8.

Brand/Temp: Part #
Hypertech/160*:1009 $12.99
Hypertech/180*:1023 @13.99
Autozone High Temp/195:457-195 $4.99
Autozone Med Temp/195:457-180 $4.99

[Dewey]

Isn't that for an LS1?

[viper98885]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Dewey:
Isn't that for an LS1?<hr></blockquote>

No, the one that the SLP link it to is for the older small block V8's (pre-LT1). The LS1 has the water neck built onto the thermostat.

The numbers that I previously listed are all for the 3.8L V6.

[John_D.]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Dewey:
Looking in the Mods Encyclopedia, it states that the stock thermo is the 180. That's not right, is it?<hr></blockquote>

There was some disagreement, when that information was put in the encyclopedia. This was discussed somewhere on here a month or two ago, and everyone who has removed their original thermostat was commenting on it having 195 stamped on it. Mine did, and autotap reported 195 degrees also. I replaced mine with a 180, and could see the difference on the gauge and with autotap after I replaced the stock one.