Currently running a 180, last winter I did a lot of expressway driving like on I-80 for 3 hours. It would blow warm air but not real hot. (i'd end up wearing a jacket the whole way) If I sat around town and the car go up to around 200 it would be much warmer.

I assume driving on the expressway when its -10F out the engine never is allowed to get too hot when you going 80-90mph the entire way.

I thought I remembered stock t-stat being 195. Would throwing a 195 in before winter help my highway heat? Would the car not even reach 195 anyways if its that cold out and I'm going 80-90mph?

Basically do you think it would help to put a 195 tstat in over the 180 for hotter heat? Specifically on the expressway? And can anyone confirm 195 was the stock t-stat temp? Would the engine temp still stay at around 175-180ish on the expressway or would the 195 actually work and let it get up to 195ish?

 

I always run my 160* and get plenty of heat, granted I don't drive in December-January.

 

Stock is 180*.

 

Flush the heater core, as covered above stock is 180.

 

stick with stock...the engine was designed for that. i run a stock thermostat and my car heats ok. i live in central texas and at night it gets cold here and i heat ok. also during the heat of a texas summer i never broke 200 on the temp gauge. flush your cooling system and the block and make sure your water pump is flowing and that you have bled the heater core hoses.