I originally bought the 160 degree thermo and Hypertech programmer to lower operating temperatures and help a knock problem. With and without programming I saw no improvement with the knock. Also, saw no power improvement with the programming. So, I simply have the thermostat with lower fan settings.

Now, I've been thinking about combustion chamber temperatures. The hotter the better for a complete burn and more power. I've wondered if the lowered coolant temperature has a negative effect on the combustion chamber temperature to the point of lost horsepower. Has anyone done any research and have proved anything to themselves?

Michael

 

www.ws6.com did the 160 stat and the tb bypass and dynoed it, gained something like 6 hp...so it obviously helps...

 

Think about it this way. Its 100 degrees outside. Is your car gonna run better if the engine is running cooler or hotter? Definitely cooler.

 

Well, to go at this topic a different way: Has anyone seen increased plug fouling as a result of lower combustion chamber temperatures? Fouling due to incomplete burn. Could this be attributed to the low coolant temperatures?

Michael

 

It sounds like your detonation problem is a symptom of a larger issue. Run a mixture of racing fuel and normal fuel and see if your detonation goes away. If it does, you have a timing issue, which is generally a resultant PCM issue.

In Austin, it gets REALLY hot and humid during the summer, so the Camaros heat up too much with the original thermostat. I replaced mine with the HPP+ and 160 thermo for that reason. My car seems to run much better in the summer with the new setup. Just to give you an idea about Austin heat, it is currently 73 degrees outside, right now. Someone told me it was winter, but I don't believe them.

 

We must keep in mind that coolant temperatures may be lower but for sure oil temperatures aren't going to be down much. The combustion chambers are still plenty hot.

 

I think the fans have more to do with running cooler than the stat. I have the 160 and my fans come on at 182 and 187. My car runs around 185-190 in the summer.

 

Just as a general answer, engine temps will have an effect on efficient combustion. Determining at exactly what temp our cars begin to lose efficiency is the hard part.

The whole thing of the 160º thermostat was probably made most famous by Hypertech. As they did their tweaking on the timing curves, they found it necessary to lower the engine temp to counter any pre-ignition due to timing advance. That is why they give the warning of making sure you use the 160º thermostat with the HPP programming. That has also bred the confusion of people thinking the opposite-that you cannot use the 160º thermostat without programming (which is not true).

As far as hp goes and to the purpose of programming, if any combustion efficiency is lost due to the 160º thermostat, the intent is that a more aggressive spark curve will more than make up for any loss in hp and there will be an overall gain. So you see there is a balancing act going on there.

Simply adding a 160º thermostat may net you nothing in power. Noting as SStupid said, when the temps are really hot, even with the 160º the engine runs fairly warm, so you still should be getting plenty of heat for good combustion, but allowing the engine an opportunity to stay in that range without getting hotter than it needs to.

In a cold winter climate, I think the 160º is too cold. When it is really cold out, my temp needle would barely nudge up over the first mark. I am sure it was staying right around the opening temp of the thermostat. I don't want to leave any condensation or unburned by-products inside my engine if I can help it. I have put my 180º thermostat in for the winter and am currently checking some long term fuel mileage to see if I can tell a difference. Other people have reported better mileage with the 180º thermostat and that would seem to indicate better efficiency.

I am not advocating either thermostat, just that you use the knowledge of how things interact so you can make the best decision on what to do. Personally, it looks like I will be doing 180º for winter and 160º for summer.