can you run an engine too cool? i recently put in a 160 stat and my engine runs between the 160 and 1/4 mark. it use to run between the 1/4 and the half. i just want to know if you lose performance if you run the engine too cool.

 

with my 160 stat im running at the same temp mark as you....These LT1's love to run cool. nothing harmful at all. even put a fan switch in to make it run even cooler!!!!!!

 

Thats perfect, right where it should be. Your LT1 loves you now.

 

how'd you do it?
i'm guessing you need a 160 t-stat and some programming to get it to run that temp?

 

160* Thermo and a manual fan switch to run consistenly at 180-190. Or instead of the switch, you could get the PCM reprogrammed so the lows turn on at 180 and the highs at 190. I have both.

 

You can also use Redline water wetter, it does not reduce engine temp. "Water Wetter" is designed to reduce hot spots in your cylinder head. It does this by reducing the build-up of water vapor in any superheated areas. The bad thing about having hot spots in your cylinder head is that they can promote pre-ignition - definitely a bad thing. Any sharp edges in your combustion chamber (around valve seats for example) may tend to get very hot (even red hot) during operation. These areas of the combustion chamber can then form local hot spots in the cooling passages. Thus, even though your bulk coolant temperature is well below its boiling point (i.e. your gauge reads just fine), there may be localized boiling in some regions of the coolant tract.

 

No need to program. Mine runs that temp with just the t-stat. Just have some fresh coolant in there to make sure.

 

160 stat and hpp3 and i'm runnin dex cool thats how i got it to run so low. i was curious if it was too low though cause this guy i know races circle track and he says he doesnt get full performance out of his car unless its running at 200 degrees. but its not a camaro.

 

You definitely can have an engine run too cool. Its been dyno proven that there are optimal operating temps. If the engines too cool the fuel may not burn optimally causing increased emissions, decreased gas mileage, and possible power loss. From my observations and tinkering, i found that the stock lt1 seems to like it at about 185-190.

 

well saber what is your temp running? cause you seem to have alot of the same stuff i have.

 

I have a stock thermostate and my car runs between the 160 and 1/4 mark.

 

how do you run as cool as mine with a stock stat?

 

My Dad hooked his scanner up to my 94 Z yesterday and the actual temperature (at least what the PCM says is the actual temp.) was 20 degrees F below what the temp gauge on the dash read. Something to keep in mind about accuracy.

 

That's odd. MY computer reads about 5-10 hotter than the dash.