Very good points I would just like to say (and I didn't watch the whole video so I apologize if you do say this later in the vid) The only job of the thermostat is to regulate the MINIMUM temperature of the engine. Meaning yes it allows coolant to flow and cool the engine, but only once that minimum temperature has been achieved. Anything else that happens above that temperature is outside of the control of a properly working thermostat.
I didn't use those exact words, but yes that was the gist of my explanation.😉 Once the thermostat is open, the temperature you end up at depends on how efficient your cooling system is.
I appreciate you a lot that you go into detail. I hate videos that don’t go into details and I can never understand so I appreciate it alot thanks so much!
Excellent video! My street/strip car likes to run about 180 degrees on a decent day, but if I get caught in traffic or driving in a car cruise, it starts climbing to 200 degrees and 210 degrees is my danger zone. Most of my friends are old school and told me to remove the t-stat and I did. That made it much worse. I thought I was going to have to re-think my whole cooling system. I decided to try the 180 degree t-stat (nothing to lose) and my gauge hasn’t gone over 185 since then, even on the hottest days. 👍
This video was excellent and provided much more information than what the title suggests. Sounds like 180 degree is what most vehicles would run unless you have done necessary modifications for other temps
Spot on! I recently bought an older Buick with the 3800 motor. I was having all sort of codes popping, from transmission to emissions, 5 in total. I ran around the car checking vacuum and voltage and could find nothing wrong, or a reason why. But, I knew of one issue, seeing as it is winter here in Michigan... The heat, there was not that much, sufficient, but not how it should be. The temp gauge was only hitting the 1/4 mark on the gauge. I plugged my scan tool in and discovered the temp was only getting to 140*. My first thought, stuck thermostat. I pulled the old one, and discovered it was a 180* unit, vs the 195* that GM calls for... I replaced that, now have heat, the engine temp is getting up to 200*, and then I discovered all of the codes are now gone. The most frightening code was the dreaded P1811 code regarding the transmission and shifting. The car now shifts normally, and runs much smoother, as it is now getting up to proper operating temperatures. This is all makes perfect sense, especially with the transmission. It was never getting up to proper temps, same with the emissions. The ECU was loosing its mind, and throwing codes galore for good reason, and possibly damaging the transmission. I see no reason to do this. The folks that design these systems know what they are doing, they spend millions of dollars and time working out the operations, don't go screwing them up like the fool that installed this 180* thermostat in my motor. I was looking at time and money fixing all of these codes, throwing money away for parts that did not need to be replaced, all because some moron thought a 180* thermostat would create some sort of magic.
Good points… the people designing knowing what they are doing… well yes… they gotta know at government motors using that orange juice in the radiator is a money maker… best advice is the same as changing oil at specified times… change the Tang in your radiator regularly too! If not it turns from an astronaut drink into orange jello.
Your thermostat was probably just sticking I run a 180 on my Chevy 3100 sfi motor summer and winter no issues hot heat a thermostat wouldn't throw all those codes a retarded PCM that has never had any GM updates will though there's a tech bulletin saying get the PCM updated on these vehicles that includes the 3800 motor the bulletin says update for random false DTCs
And no orange coolant is good for 150000 miles the jello effect is from mixing green and orange and also mixing other brands of orange for example Ford organic oat coolant mixed with dexcool both orange or conventional mixed with any orange makes jello mud or you have a blown head gasket or failed intake manifold gasket which is very common on GM vehicles
Great video man. My 62 chevy II runs a 160 and runs 160 all day in Any weather. I'm about to swap to a 180 cause of the Luke warm air I have during the winter here in Missouri. Lol
I have sort of the opposite issue than most people see. Last year i installed an all aluminum rad. replaced the water pump and thermostat on my 06 GMC Sierra 4.8L. Since the day I install it all, I have had pro-longed engine warmup temps. Factory thermostat temp is 186-187 and that's what i installed, but it takes a lot longer drives for the engine to reach the typical 200 degrees. I actually replaced it twice because i thought i got a bad thermostat. Using Stant thermostats. My temp gauge will stick around the thermostat temp for a bit longer. I have also seen it go from 200 degrees and drop all the way back down to 185-187. Despite all this, i never noticed any real problems or got any codes up until last week when the temps starting hitting 50-60F outside. I got the P0128 code (Coolant Temp Below Thermostat Regulating Temp). Does this mean my new Radiator with my Electric Fans (Stock) are just too efficient? How could i fix this issue, especially now that it's about to be winter.
I’d seek professional advice. MAYBE you could restrict some airflow to the radiator. Like I said I’d ask a professional mechanic before trying it. You wouldn’t want to cause other problems by doing it.
I have an 1100hp procharged e85 ls7 and I decided to run a 174 thermostat in mine. It had the 197 stock thermostat and what people don't understand on thermostat it starts to open at 197 and is fully opened around 210.
Great explanation! Especially the comment about no heat in the winter haha On cold mornings once my thermostat opens at 195 I see my Guage dip back down to 180 from that cold coolant flowing in. Then the thermostat closes and goes back up to 195, rinse and repeat I never get it past 195ish!
Hey man thanks for the video. It helped me out alot. I had been running a 160deg t stat on my zz502. It gets hot out here in Northern cali Valley. So becauseof your video I switched to a 185. My car runs alot cooler thanks.
My 79 k10 truck was over heating I changed from a 185 thermostat to a 160 it still gets hotter than 160 but it definitely helped keep it cooler after that I changed to 2 electric cooling fans and now it's staying cool. I do a lot of offloading and when you are putting around in the mountains moving slow and climbing and all that stuff makes my truck run hot anyway so the 160 t Stat made more sense to me all that really means is the coolant will start circulation earlier than it use too. Thank you for your explanation of how the system works. I'm sure it has helped a bunch of people out.
Thanks for the comment brother. The overwhelming majority of the people watching this video seemed to have found it helpful. As I tried to explain in the video, whether a lower temp thermostat hurts or helps you depends on the overall efficiency of your entire cooling system. Most people get it but maybe once every few months I seem to get someone who either didn’t understand what I was trying to explain or simply didn’t watch the entire video and basically tries to argue a point I already explained later in the video. Lol. I love getting honest feedback like yours. It’s why I continue to make these kind of videos for people. 👍
Good point about the radiator efficiency! I WAS contemplating a 160 deg. Thermostat untill I seen your video. I only have a single row radiator and your comment changed my mind. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for the post, I'm working on my fist LS and the stuff I hear from people is crazy. I wanted to use a thermostat but I wasn't sure on what temp to use. The new water pump I got came with a new 180. So I will be using that one for sure.
Hi Sir I used to have a Toyota Carnia Twin cam Turbo 8 plug Yamaha head & I put in 160 deg thermostat & that worked really well & the temperature never got to normal temperature & the needle always stayed just below the normal temperature even in the summer on very hot days & turbo was water Cooled it was Brilliant & having the 160 deg themostat made a big difference in performance as well & that's why I had changed the thermostat to make the 1800 cc twin cam water cooled Turbo 8 Spark plug head to run cooler & it work really well other than that if it was just non turbo engine I would have just used the standard thermostat & because this engine was a water cooled turbo charged engine I use a 160 degree thermostat to keep it running Cool & it worked so well in keeping everything running cooler & it worked really well even on very hot days & the temperature needle always stayed just under normal temperature Kind Regards Peter
Dude, this is one of the first times I went into a video, not knowing anything about how this part works and left feeling confident about what is right for me car. Thanks! I’ve also been watching your transmission and torque converter removal videos for when I swap in my gears and yank converter. Much appreciated.
Dude. I’m not a mechanic but I’m mechanical. Made so much sense - keeping the original thermostat makes so much sense now. If it’s overheating, there a several other things wrong but putting a low temp tstat doesn’t fix it.
I'm fully educated now. I've ordered a 180 for my mini van as it gets up to 220 degree ect with a 195 when I tow my boat. We'll see if the 180 brings ect down or not. 😂 thank you for the help.
Very helpful. The water pump on my C5 just went out. Some forum threads had me convinced to run a 160 thermostat on my stock LS1. After watching this I'm definitely just gonna stick to 180. Thanks for the breakdown.
I have an 02 Avalanche with a 5.3 vortec, It can maintain 197 UNLESS I turn on the ac. I live in Georgia and summers run easily into the 90+. I have to turn on the heater to max if it goes over 100 degrees, which it does. During the winter, the temp is never a problem. I have replaced the water pump, the fan, the thermostat, I have flushed the radiator several times and I honestly believe it is a poorly designed system and the radiator is just not adequate. I have been told by a mechanic at a radiator shop that my radiator is subject to clogging because of the diameter of the tubing used in this system. I guess I just need a better performing radiator. I had seriously considered the 160 degree thermostat but now may opt for the 180. Thanks for the information, excellent presentation.
From the factory most LS engines will run between 205-220 degrees. This is normal. 197 is actually fairly cool unless you’ve modified the fan settings to come on earlier.
@@BadLuckGarageMy vehicle can hold a water temperature of 200, but that may or may not be the temperature of the engine, the gauge is telling you the temperature of the fluid in the cooling system, not the temperature of the engine. Once I turn on the ac in 90 + degree weather the fluid temperature escalates rapidly and if I leave the ac on the vehicle will most assuredly overheat. I know from experience. So I don't use the ac. I thought by dropping in a 160 thermostat that the fluid would have better flow and not remain in the engine as long. I don't believe the radiator is sufficient to cool the fluid with the heat and humidity of Georgia in the summer. I also am considering upgrading to a higher performing radiator, maybe aluminum with larger ports. Friends that own Chevy's have related similar cooling problems.
Brother I’m in east Tennesse so I know all about the humidity. And every vehicle on this channel is GM/LS based including “Abby”, our Avalanche and we have no cooling issues. It’s possible you just have sludge buildup or maybe a fan isn’t functioning as it should if you’re actually experiencing an overheating issue. If your Avalanche is stock it shouldn’t be overheating unless something isn’t functioning properly or airflow is blocked to the radiator, even in 90+degree temps.
I was having temp problems, and I had to pull the thermostat on my Tundra 5.7 FF. The engine only got up to temp if the outside air was at 95 degrees or greater. Once it cooled down just a little, I had to go ahead and fix the actual problem.
This is spot on for the minimums. Also, what he explains about running no thermostat and it overheating is dead accurate. What he gets wrong is the thermostat acts as a flow restrictor even when it is wide open. That being said a 160 and 180 thermostat will not make any difference if your car is overheating at say 210° . That is a radiator, cooling fan, or airflow problem.
But what he's saying is that if you put in a t-stat that is closer to the efficiency of your rad, the engine will maintain that temp because it actually does open and close, to keep the water in the rad, to cool it off
@@jakefriesenjake He probably didnt watch the entire video and doesn't realize hes repeating what I already said. Or he made the comment before he got to the part where I said exactly what he wrote. Happens all the time. People have very short attention spans these days.
@@BadLuckGarage I put in a 180 instead of a 160. I think it was opening and closing at 180, plus or minus. The E fan was setup to come on at 185 and turn off at 175 or so. I had it idling hot, with some revving (500 hp, 381 cid, big cam, 9.5 ratio, aluminum heads), the fan did cycle on and off like 6 times, in the garage (73 f). But when I took it for a cruise later that day (78 f), the fan would also cycle on and off, but around 190 to 200. Driving around heats up the engine more than idle. Before, with the 160, the fan was always on, with the 180, it cycles on and off at least. If I were to put in a high flow 195, it would probably be ok! But 195 to 205 is still a tad warm for me...... Still not overheating but what will it do in 100f outside? So I'm ripping it all out, converting my single pass Aluminum rad to a triple pass, making a full custom aluminum shroud (full size as the core) and adding another 10" spal fan (800 cfm) to the setup with a 10 second delay relay. The original fan (15" flex-a-lite 3300 cfm) will slide over to accommodate, inside the new shroud. Going to try royal purple additive and more distilled water and less antifreeze in the system. Going to try a high flow 180 t-stat. That better solve my problem!
The higher temp or lower temp thermostats will still open when the coolant reaches above the temp even the hottest temp thermostat. So the restriction of any temp thermostat just being enough to restrict the coolant flow in the heat. In the cold it would make a bigger difference. No thermostat in the heat will cause a boil over. In the cold no thermostat the engine might not idle down because the temperature will not get hot enough. I used to own an Oldsmobile Cutlass and I didn't know that it didn't have a thermostat in the replacement manifold the guy sold with the car. So in the summer after driving an hour it blew a heater hose. The coolant was super over heated. Your correct about the different effects about the different temp thermostats or not having a thermostat will cause an engine.
On my blown 427 BBC, I run no bypass, I run a restrictor plate instead of thermostat and vent coolant from back of both heads, Summertime it runs 180 to 200deg.
Funny you said Arizona... I'm in Arizona and it's been 115 to 120 for the last 2 weeks. The thermostat housing on my Ram cracked last week. I put a new tstat & housing on but wish I had did some research before going OEM. I'm about to put 180 in it with the clutch fan delete and add the V6 electric fan with a tune. Thanks for the vid.
I added a 180°F (82°C) thermostat in my 4.0L Thor V8 Land Rover Discovery 2 engine over the stock t-stat of 190°F (88°C). Works great for me back when I was in Atlanta and now in Suffolk, England. No valve tapping, no head gasket failure and no slipped liners due to a flawed overheating engine. 💪🏼
I have a situation you didn't quite cover... My cooling system is not efficient enough for my engine swap. While doing the parts order I for the build got a 62⁰c (143⁰f) thermostat. And my temps average 80-90⁰c (176-195⁰f) cruising (which is a little high before hard driving). Watching your awesome video, I've worked out this is not the best idea. I have two other options for my engine, 76⁰c (169⁰f) or 82⁰c (180⁰f) what would you recommend?
You did a good job. I never thought of the stat as a input controlling device, only an output controlling device. But it makes sense. The stat regulates the temp where coolant flows into the engine, hopefully putting the radiator in a position to properly cool the engine. Cooling systems for carb engines must be different the F.I. engines. What's the temp difference radiator input vs output which indicates how efficient my cooling system is. I think that's the key.
Definitely don't want to run your engine too cold as there's many problems that come from this but great explanation because even on our dirt track cars we don't run thermostats but we do put a washer in the hole so the water has time to cool in the radiator more before it circulates to the engine
What is considered too cold? I’m looking at a 68c/154f thermostat for my 1JZGTE. Chase bays tucked thick radiator with 2 thick ass fans. Florida temps.
@@driftingbrandonc.6480 I ran an Impala at 140f for 289,000 miles before wrecking it. 0 negative side effects, underhood temps down, increased rubber component life. Same fuel economy. Did not get stuck in open-loop despite the comments.
180 stat, 190 fan setting, runs 190, even if sitting, idling for 1/2 hour bsing with a friend or traffic holdup. Find engine runs smoother, quieter and more efficiently for grocery getting. Track day - 160 stat, 160 fan setting, mech timer on underside of dash, run for 1/2 hour after parking car, I walk away to spectate or eat and come back to cool engine, ready for next run.
Great explanation, must always a thermostat to control flow. And 180 is the perfect temp. I recently had to my water pump replaced and my mechanic insisted on 195 Stat guess whst, fans are coming on more than before.. not overheating, just running hotter than I comfortable with 0:06
Iam glad because I grew up the oldest girl/only girl -poor with all brothers and they was all truck drivers and all also mechanics I grew up hearing a lot about this or that I would be great for working at a parts store,yet I had never worked on any vehicle not even change oil til my dad pasted away and I was given his 1959 Ford with a 302 with a c4 trany so I had to learn how too,so I could finish it so I could drive it and I lost 2 brothers that helped a little before they died but I am having to fix everything on it then my oldest daughter gave me a 2006 Subaru Forester that needed a water pump and thermostat and iam to poor to pay a stupidly high price f that lol so anyways thank you for your video I liked and subscribed to your channel thanks again I hope all your videos are great like this one keep up the good work and have a great day
Great info. I’m working on getting control of temps in my foxbody (supercharged 347) with a 160 thermostat. On the hwy it tends to stay steady around 195 at cruising speeds and actually drops a bit when I speed up. But in stop and go traffic, it averages 210 or even higher sometimes. So that tells me that the cooling system is working, because temps are fine a hwy speeds, but my e fans are pulling enough ait because it heats up when I’m going slow. So my next project is Spal fans that pull a lot more CFMs than my current mishimotos.
I have a Chevy big block 348 1961 impala running a Lil hot, I wanna change thermostat not sure what’s in it? Should I go 180/195. Everything is original radiator etc.? Oh I live in Northern California summer a lot of 95/105 degree days
This makes sense on cars with upper thermostats but lower thermistats ? Mine is oem and lower hose is 99% akwats cold ..new thermostat twice over ..fans not kicking in ..ty
makes sense here but i've seen over circulating over heat them and i've seen lower temp thermostats make a noticeable difference. i think if lower temps are the goal, a step down on thermostat is a viable option. i wouldn't go lower than 180ish.. done the lowest temp i could find on an old f150 once. it was carbed.. it didn't get warm enough to make normal power lol. kept temps down though.
I have run a 160° in my cammed/tuned gmc sierra for years with factory radiator and e-fans. I live in central tx where its usually hot af. My temps usually run right around 180°. So your right on the money! My factory cooling system is only efficient enough to maintain 180°. Luckily ive had no overheating issues yet. Ill be switching to a 180 tstat.
If your able to keep it at 180 the way it is then I'd just say leave it the way it is unless you start seeing it "run away" when it gets hotter outside.
True. I have removed my thermostat. At idle my coolant temp coming out frm the bottom of radiator is 78celcius. However when driving the temp goes up to 89celcius. All else in constant as My electric fan in direct always on. Which means the temp goes up as rpm increases which I believe is because the coolant is flowing too fast through the radiator.
??? If you run a thermostat or restrictor then it will slow the flow down. So if the flow slows down in the radiator to get cooler temps back into the engine- that also allowed the engine to heat up longer and greater on the other side. ??
Thx for the video. I think I put a 160 in my van on accident. Would run great during the winter, come the summer months it would run fine too at start up and on the highway. But if I let it start idling when warmed up it would overheat like no ones business.
I changed engine out of my boat it had a ton of hours on it it was a 454 and when we tore that motor apart it was absolutely as clean as a brand new engine and all engines I have see are this way unless the never changed the oil . That motor ran 135-150 and it never cooked the oil from high temperatures. But I really don’t know but you can tell way and car motor will have sludge and dirty and a marine engines on older boats just spotless so can you tell me the reason if it’s not the temperature?
My 1985 car comes with a 190 thermostat. It does get very hot on the 90 + degree days! So, not sure what to do, as we also get -45 degree days. I do drive my car everyday. I also put in the larger rad, but it still gets hot. And hot air just does not help. So I try only to drive it to work and home on those very hot days. Any suggestions would be great. The only other comment I found was to run the lower thermo in summer and put the higher temp one in winter. ...I can work a lot on my car, so I could change this out. I do hate getting leaks there however, which it can be prone to do...oh well!
Very detailed video, thanks. However, being in a hot tropical country with heavy daily traffic, things are different. We bring lots of European cars into the country, and every one of them need to go through a check to replace to lower thermostats mostly 75-82C range, larger clutch fans with more blades and additional electric fans upfront to assist and sometimes even the radiators. These are generally done by the franchise dealers or authorised workshops. Without these changes, blocks or heads have cracked easily. Every importer goes through to make these changes. My friends in the middle east also do the same. Just thought I share.
That is exactly what I explained in the video. The entire cooling system has to be capable of supporting the lower temp thermostat. The fact that you have to upgrade all those parts supports what I was attempting to explain.
Do engineers think about the Caribbean where the heat is just too much? Here in Puerto Rico if the car is not insanely computerized we just pull out that sucker ! Is too hot over here !
The lower thermostat temp will do nothing to cure overheat problems. If you imported a car from a different area it might be that the radiator area and flow might be to small for the area you are driving the car now.
So what about a 305 v8 engine on a 1975 Squarebody? I didn’t even know anything about this till I saw someone asking about this on a group on FB. Now I’m wondering if my truck is running too cold in the winter. Does the thermostat have some engraving that tells you which one it is ?
I got a 195 aftermarket thermostat on my hot air 1984 turbo regal with the new alloy radiator and fans do you think I’ll be ok with this set up. I got the fans running all the time when the car is on
I wouldn’t recommend using dealers in your coolant system. They tend to reduce heat transfer and reduce cooling system efficiency. If you have a leaking head gasket, fix it correctly.
My temperature gauge started reading higher than it always used to (about 9/16 or 5/8 of the gauge rather than 1/2) after I changed my power steering pump. To change the power steering pump you have to remove one of the water pump bolts, and coolant leaks out when you do that. I filled it back up with coolant when I was done of course, but because the gauge was reading hotter than usual, I figured air must have gotten into the system. I've let the engine idle while parked on a steep hill (front of the car higher than the rear) and the radiator cap removed, 4 or 5 times now, for about 45 minutes at a time, and no change with the gauge reading. I was thinking that maybe the thermostat isn't opening all the way, and it started doing it around the time I changed the power steering pump as a matter of mere coincidence. However, today when I was trying to burp the cooling system yet again, I checked the temperatures with an infrared thermometer gun, and they all seem normal. The temperature of the coolant itself, measured through the open filler neck, was about 170 degrees F; the temperature of the top of the radiator was about 180, and the temperature of the intake manifold near where the upper radiator hose enters ranged from 193 to 197, usually 195, every time I checked it over about a half hour period. Since it's a 195-degree thermostat, I'd say the temperatures are all normal. I don't know what's causing the gauge to read higher than it always used to. Maybe the temperature sensor/sender is screwed up?
I just canceled my order for my 140° thermostat and went OEM. Thank you sir! Question though, I drive up a mountain daily and in summer with 110° temp. outside. Would a aluminum radiator help my cooling system to work easier?
An aluminum radiator with a thicker core(s) or even a dual pass radiator would. A stock sized replacement might help a little but you probably wouldn’t notice much of a difference unless your stock radiator was just really clogged up. More cores and more passes is where it’s really at.
I had a tahoe in the virgin island and had no thermostat and I never had a problem my truck never overheated once. I new I had a problem with the pump when it started to get hot
I ran a Chevy Cobalt without a thermometer. The car coolant ran about 190 with a thermostat and 154 without a thermostat. The cab defroster took 5 to 9 more minutes to heat up. My cooling system had a 1/2 broken fan.
@@DarkLinkAD Did yall use a washer or just took it out? i have a crown vic not sure where i should start if i do need to get a washer when it comes to figuring out what size one to get
Hey I've been working on cars forever too but I've got up there in age and more I'm like dealing with a clogged therm, but also a pin hole in my radiator, hence the clogged thermostat. Lol did it myself putting stuff in the system. Afraid to have to pull this radiator... 03 Buick century you have to remove the motor mounts and all sorts of stuff. Any advice. Other than have someone else do it
My jku runs at 240 degrees on a 70 degree day. I had to put a low temp thermostat in just to keep it cool. Stock jeeps have a 203 degree thermostat. They are at almost boiling temp before thermostat opens.
I feel my cooling system keeps my operating temperature below 180 degrees. I ran a thermostat again to save gas. I didn't change hoses when I changed to a better radiator and blew a hose up. It's about 100°F outside now. My thermostat was new. I tested it in hot water. I switched to water and coolant without freeze protection, pulle out the thermo and it's running cooler. I felt 180 was causing the car to run hotter than needed. My fans stay running right now because the coolant temp senspr quit and I just unplugged it so It won't burn up. This is very interesting stuff!!
hey brother really great video. good info. I have a mopar 440 with no thermostat and big radiator. runs great and tends to over heat. Do you recommend putting in a 160 thermostat. Electric fans. Maybe I should go back to mechanical fan ??? Thanks man. You are above most you tubers for sure.
So I guess even the factory 195 or 197 thermostat is still open the whole time because the Silverados all run right at 210. At least that’s what is on the gauge in the middle. It stays closed until it gets 197 ish and then pretty much stays open. I’ve never seen the gauge move from 210 once it gets there.
So if I'm running a 180 deg thermostat set my radiator fan to come on at 190 and turn off at 180 am I right?? I'm about to install a electric radiator fan on my v8 that has a belt driven viscous fan. I've got a davies craig digital controller for the fan. So set the fan to come on about 10 deg hotter than your thermostat? And to turn off at thermostat temp? As a general rule? I love your videos and how you explain it. Keep em coming mate. Hello from Australia 🇦🇺 👍
What about the 3.8 3800 V6 engines GM made where the intake manifold goes out? They put in a 180 degree thermostat to replace the 192, 190 or 195 degree thermostat
I Had A 2004 Monte Carlo With A 160F In It. Would Run At 180F. This Was With Electric Water Pump, Radiator That Was 2 Times Thicker With Stock Radiator Fan. I Put In A 180F T Stat And It Ran 190F. The Cooling System Seemed Like It Was Capable Right Between 160 And 180. This Time Around I Got A Radiator That's Even Thicker And Upgraded The Stock Fans To 2 14" Spal Fans (the big motor versions) I'm Hoping That Will Keep It At 160 For The Most Part. My 5.7 Hemi Turbo Jeep On The Other Hand Has A Upgraded Massive 2-3/4" Thick Radiator With Stock Massive Hydraulic Radiator Fan (powered by the power steering pump) That Things Sits At 160-165 99% Of The Time. Beating On It The Hotest I Got The Coolant Was 175 haha Hot Day And All.
So it's about the air to water heat exchange in the radiator due to uncontrolled coolant velocity. Makes sense but raises other questions about high flow water pumps (like Flowkooler), high flow thermostats (Motorad) and using aftermarket radiators. But the bottom line is: always keep the low coolant temp limit at Stock OE Spec.
Really no question there brother. The high flow pumps and thermostats just allow the coolant to be pumped to the radiator and faster once the thermostat opens and the better aftermarket radiators allow the heat to dissipate faster from the coolant.
Well I got this second hand '95 Accord, it was pristine no changes no accidents just great, but there was no thermostat. First thing I took it to the mechanic, he handled her changed a few hoses and cleaned up some stuff. When I got back to pick the car up, he said "Do not put a thermostat in", and then, more interesting, "Do not put any antifreeze in the coolant", where manufacturer's strict suggestion was 50/50. When I asked why he said "It will damage this and that". Anyways I said OK it was cold and late so I took the car out back home. I never spoke to him ever again because later it appears he overpriced his job on my car. But I am still desperately trying to understand what might be laying under his statement of not putting on a thermostat or especially antifreeze to the coolant liquid. Still trying to find out about that reasoning.
My car is running hot but not overheating. I have a 2010 VE HSV GTS E2 LS3 engine. When I got the car the oil temperature would run at 100 degrees C (212 degrees F for Americans) Now has gone up to about 118 degrees C (244 F ) The coolant is always on 100 - 105 degrees (212 - 221 degrees F) even on freeways doing 100 km/hr (62 m/pr) I just changed my thermostat but it seems to be the same as before changing. There are no check engine or cluster lights on dash. when bleeding the coolant there is a very strong swirl in the radiator so the water pump is working the fluid level does drop but at around the 100-105 degree C (212 - 221 F) I'm really confused this is my first V8. My back up car is a L67 with a 82 degree thermostat (179 F) and runs at 82 degrees all the time will raise temp when sitting at lights. Any help would be deeply appreciated.
You would have to have 6 or 8 core radiator with a 160 thermostat with a constant on electric fan. 180° is the coolest thermostat I have ever had in a 8 cylinder gas engine.
Can you please answer a question. I've watched both videos. The one where you explain how to wire up the relays and electric fans from the company that don't give instructions. You said the system/relay/sensor won't work unless you run a 160° thermostat. Also I watch the video of should I run a 160° thermostat. Well I got the new fans/radiator installed and put a 160° thermostat in it. I'm in South Texas where temps have been 100+ for weeks. I took truck to work today and it ran hot didn't over heat but ran hot. Can I use 195° sensor as well as a 195° thermostat and get better results. 4.3 V6...thanks for all the videos....
I was trying to figure out why my 99 s10 with a 2.2 4 cylinder was running at 165, when the thermostat is supposed to be a 195. Welp here I go getting a new thermostat
I have a cammed 5.0 (302) Explorer with an aluminum radiator. I've thought of switching to a 180* thermostat to help combat hot Midwest summers where I don't get overheating issues but sluggish heat soak. Any Ford guys have experience with running a cooler thermostat on their v8s?
First of all thank you very much for taking the time to share these videos, they are of a great help for us that don't have the money to pay a professional like you. Question..... i have a 1985 ford bronco-ll that is overheating, the top hose is hot but the bottom hose is cold. I'm sure the thermostat is not opening by the way, these engines hold the thermostat at the bottom. (i removed the thermostat, put it in boiling water and it worked, it opened) Do you have an idea as why is that? Is there a way to install the thermostat at the top? Any suggestion or recommendations are of great help. thank you.
you should add about head temps because most chevys read from head on gauge on dash. so 195 will make it run 205-210 at heads etc i may not be exact but you get the idea. also 190-220 is supposed to be normal for sbc and almost every new truck these days run 210 all the time
Can I run no thermostat in a turbo mazda that I own in Florida? Please respond if you see this. My buddy has his out right now in his Subaru here in Florida and it just runs super cold all day No pronls at all
Well thanks I'm not stupid just new to electric fans and I was told by the engine builder to run a 160° thermo and can't maintain it when it gets warmer outside so I guess. My cooling system is just a little under par
This is a debate that's been going on for generations, back when I went to automotive tech school (40+ years ago) the instructor had all the students debate the very same thing amongst ourselves while he listened, when we were done, he taught us that the main function of thermostats in an internal combustion engine was not to help cool the engine but rather the reverse, to help the engine warm up during start ups, albeit, while there is a slight cooling advantage to having a thermostat installed, that's not the original intended function of the design, what determines what temp thermostat used (pre-emissions controlled) is determined by your climate, cold weather vehicles would use a 160 degree thermostat and warmer climate vehicles would use higher temp thermostats like a 180+ degree thermostat. Some students tried to debate with the instructor the virtues of the cooling benefits of higher temp thermostats, he explained that by the time the engine has fully warmed up, running at normal operating temps and gotten a few cycles of coolant flow, the thermostat is partially to fully opened due to temperature and coolant pressure from both heat expansion and from constant water pump circulation, even with a good radiator and air flow, coolant temps don't cool off enough to close the thermostat, as most decent radiators will only cool off the coolant between 10-15 degrees.
Very good points I would just like to say (and I didn't watch the whole video so I apologize if you do say this later in the vid) The only job of the thermostat is to regulate the MINIMUM temperature of the engine. Meaning yes it allows coolant to flow and cool the engine, but only once that minimum temperature has been achieved. Anything else that happens above that temperature is outside of the control of a properly working thermostat.
I didn't use those exact words, but yes that was the gist of my explanation.😉 Once the thermostat is open, the temperature you end up at depends on how efficient your cooling system is.
So in other words the thermostat serves no purpose. Here in Africa we remove the thermostat our car runs fine and better no issues.
U should make a video if u care so much not a whole essay 😢
@@kennethefeya95 the purpose of the thermostat is to bring up the engine to operating temperature sooner than it would without one.
I appreciate you a lot that you go into detail. I hate videos that don’t go into details and I can never understand so I appreciate it alot thanks so much!
Excellent video! My street/strip car likes to run about 180 degrees on a decent day, but if I get caught in traffic or driving in a car cruise, it starts climbing to 200 degrees and 210 degrees is my danger zone. Most of my friends are old school and told me to remove the t-stat and I did. That made it much worse. I thought I was going to have to re-think my whole cooling system. I decided to try the 180 degree t-stat (nothing to lose) and my gauge hasn’t gone over 185 since then, even on the hottest days. 👍
This video was excellent and provided much more information than what the title suggests. Sounds like 180 degree is what most vehicles would run unless you have done necessary modifications for other temps
Spot on!
I recently bought an older Buick with the 3800 motor. I was having all sort of codes popping, from transmission to emissions, 5 in total. I ran around the car checking vacuum and voltage and could find nothing wrong, or a reason why.
But, I knew of one issue, seeing as it is winter here in Michigan... The heat, there was not that much, sufficient, but not how it should be. The temp gauge was only hitting the 1/4 mark on the gauge. I plugged my scan tool in and discovered the temp was only getting to 140*. My first thought, stuck thermostat. I pulled the old one, and discovered it was a 180* unit, vs the 195* that GM calls for...
I replaced that, now have heat, the engine temp is getting up to 200*, and then I discovered all of the codes are now gone. The most frightening code was the dreaded P1811 code regarding the transmission and shifting.
The car now shifts normally, and runs much smoother, as it is now getting up to proper operating temperatures. This is all makes perfect sense, especially with the transmission. It was never getting up to proper temps, same with the emissions. The ECU was loosing its mind, and throwing codes galore for good reason, and possibly damaging the transmission.
I see no reason to do this. The folks that design these systems know what they are doing, they spend millions of dollars and time working out the operations, don't go screwing them up like the fool that installed this 180* thermostat in my motor. I was looking at time and money fixing all of these codes, throwing money away for parts that did not need to be replaced, all because some moron thought a 180* thermostat would create some sort of magic.
Good points… the people designing knowing what they are doing… well yes… they gotta know at government motors using that orange juice in the radiator is a money maker… best advice is the same as changing oil at specified times… change the Tang in your radiator regularly too! If not it turns from an astronaut drink into orange jello.
Your thermostat was probably just sticking I run a 180 on my Chevy 3100 sfi motor summer and winter no issues hot heat a thermostat wouldn't throw all those codes a retarded PCM that has never had any GM updates will though there's a tech bulletin saying get the PCM updated on these vehicles that includes the 3800 motor the bulletin says update for random false DTCs
And no orange coolant is good for 150000 miles the jello effect is from mixing green and orange and also mixing other brands of orange for example Ford organic oat coolant mixed with dexcool both orange or conventional mixed with any orange makes jello mud or you have a blown head gasket or failed intake manifold gasket which is very common on GM vehicles
Great video man. My 62 chevy II runs a 160 and runs 160 all day in Any weather. I'm about to swap to a 180 cause of the Luke warm air I have during the winter here in Missouri. Lol
I have sort of the opposite issue than most people see. Last year i installed an all aluminum rad. replaced the water pump and thermostat on my 06 GMC Sierra 4.8L. Since the day I install it all, I have had pro-longed engine warmup temps. Factory thermostat temp is 186-187 and that's what i installed, but it takes a lot longer drives for the engine to reach the typical 200 degrees. I actually replaced it twice because i thought i got a bad thermostat. Using Stant thermostats.
My temp gauge will stick around the thermostat temp for a bit longer. I have also seen it go from 200 degrees and drop all the way back down to 185-187. Despite all this, i never noticed any real problems or got any codes up until last week when the temps starting hitting 50-60F outside. I got the P0128 code (Coolant Temp Below Thermostat Regulating Temp). Does this mean my new Radiator with my Electric Fans (Stock) are just too efficient? How could i fix this issue, especially now that it's about to be winter.
I’d seek professional advice. MAYBE you could restrict some airflow to the radiator. Like I said I’d ask a professional mechanic before trying it. You wouldn’t want to cause other problems by doing it.
I have an 1100hp procharged e85 ls7 and I decided to run a 174 thermostat in mine. It had the 197 stock thermostat and what people don't understand on thermostat it starts to open at 197 and is fully opened around 210.
YOU DID A HECK OF A GREAT JOB EXPLAINING AND KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Thanks for the info! Very helpful. Just replaced a 160 with a 195
What did it do?
@@jakefriesenjakeworked out great
Great explanation! Especially the comment about no heat in the winter haha On cold mornings once my thermostat opens at 195 I see my Guage dip back down to 180 from that cold coolant flowing in. Then the thermostat closes and goes back up to 195, rinse and repeat I never get it past 195ish!
Well put!!!!!!!!
I am a tech and trying to explain that to a customer is a nightmare. Most can not rap their head around it.
LOL, well next time, share the video! Itll helo the channel and them!
Hey man thanks for the video. It helped me out alot. I had been running a 160deg t stat on my zz502. It gets hot out here in Northern cali Valley. So becauseof your video I switched to a 185. My car runs alot cooler thanks.
Really? I have a 160 and the heat slowly creeps up to 200. Not happy
My 79 k10 truck was over heating I changed from a 185 thermostat to a 160 it still gets hotter than 160 but it definitely helped keep it cooler after that I changed to 2 electric cooling fans and now it's staying cool. I do a lot of offloading and when you are putting around in the mountains moving slow and climbing and all that stuff makes my truck run hot anyway so the 160 t Stat made more sense to me all that really means is the coolant will start circulation earlier than it use too. Thank you for your explanation of how the system works. I'm sure it has helped a bunch of people out.
Thanks for the comment brother. The overwhelming majority of the people watching this video seemed to have found it helpful. As I tried to explain in the video, whether a lower temp thermostat hurts or helps you depends on the overall efficiency of your entire cooling system. Most people get it but maybe once every few months I seem to get someone who either didn’t understand what I was trying to explain or simply didn’t watch the entire video and basically tries to argue a point I already explained later in the video. Lol. I love getting honest feedback like yours. It’s why I continue to make these kind of videos for people. 👍
Good point about the radiator efficiency!
I WAS contemplating a 160 deg. Thermostat untill I seen your video. I only have a single row radiator and your comment changed my mind.
Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for the post, I'm working on my fist LS and the stuff I hear from people is crazy. I wanted to use a thermostat but I wasn't sure on what temp to use. The new water pump I got came with a new 180. So I will be using that one for sure.
Hi Sir I used to have a Toyota Carnia Twin cam Turbo 8 plug Yamaha head & I put in 160 deg thermostat & that worked really well & the temperature never got to normal temperature & the needle always stayed just below the normal temperature even in the summer on very hot days & turbo was water Cooled it was Brilliant & having the 160 deg themostat made a big difference in performance as well & that's why I had changed the thermostat to make the 1800 cc twin cam water cooled Turbo 8 Spark plug head to run cooler & it work really well other than that if it was just non turbo engine I would have just used the standard thermostat & because this engine was a water cooled turbo charged engine I use a 160 degree thermostat to keep it running Cool & it worked so well in keeping everything running cooler & it worked really well even on very hot days & the temperature needle always stayed just under normal temperature Kind Regards Peter
Thanks. You got to love a guy who knows what he’s talking about.
Thanks for watching. I’m glad you found the video helpful!
Dude, this is one of the first times I went into a video, not knowing anything about how this part works and left feeling confident about what is right for me car. Thanks! I’ve also been watching your transmission and torque converter removal videos for when I swap in my gears and yank converter. Much appreciated.
Glad I could help!
Dude. I’m not a mechanic but I’m mechanical. Made so much sense - keeping the original thermostat makes so much sense now. If it’s overheating, there a several other things wrong but putting a low temp tstat doesn’t fix it.
I'm fully educated now. I've ordered a 180 for my mini van as it gets up to 220 degree ect with a 195 when I tow my boat. We'll see if the 180 brings ect down or not. 😂 thank you for the help.
Very helpful. The water pump on my C5 just went out. Some forum threads had me convinced to run a 160 thermostat on my stock LS1. After watching this I'm definitely just gonna stick to 180. Thanks for the breakdown.
Glad it helped
Regardless of what you think you know a different perspective always helps to gain more knowledge
I have an 02 Avalanche with a 5.3 vortec, It can maintain 197 UNLESS I turn on the ac. I live in Georgia and summers run easily into the 90+. I have to turn on the heater to max if it goes over 100 degrees, which it does. During the winter, the temp is never a problem. I have replaced the water pump, the fan, the thermostat, I have flushed the radiator several times and I honestly believe it is a poorly designed system and the radiator is just not adequate. I have been told by a mechanic at a radiator shop that my radiator is subject to clogging because of the diameter of the tubing used in this system. I guess I just need a better performing radiator. I had seriously considered the 160 degree thermostat but now may opt for the 180. Thanks for the information, excellent presentation.
From the factory most LS engines will run between 205-220 degrees. This is normal. 197 is actually fairly cool unless you’ve modified the fan settings to come on earlier.
@@BadLuckGarageMy vehicle can hold a water temperature of 200, but that may or may not be the temperature of the engine, the gauge is telling you the temperature of the fluid in the cooling system, not the temperature of the engine. Once I turn on the ac in 90 + degree weather the fluid temperature escalates rapidly and if I leave the ac on the vehicle will most assuredly overheat. I know from experience. So I don't use the ac. I thought by dropping in a 160 thermostat that the fluid would have better flow and not remain in the engine as long. I don't believe the radiator is sufficient to cool the fluid with the heat and humidity of Georgia in the summer. I also am considering upgrading to a higher performing radiator, maybe aluminum with larger ports. Friends that own Chevy's have related similar cooling problems.
Brother I’m
in east Tennesse so I know all about the humidity. And every vehicle on this channel is GM/LS based including “Abby”, our Avalanche and we have no cooling issues. It’s possible you just have sludge buildup or maybe a fan isn’t functioning as it should if you’re actually experiencing an overheating issue. If your Avalanche is stock it shouldn’t be overheating unless something isn’t functioning properly or airflow is blocked to the radiator, even in 90+degree temps.
I was having temp problems, and I had to pull the thermostat on my Tundra 5.7 FF. The engine only got up to temp if the outside air was at 95 degrees or greater. Once it cooled down just a little, I had to go ahead and fix the actual problem.
Mechanically saavy.... love the detail, learned much. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
This is spot on for the minimums. Also, what he explains about running no thermostat and it overheating is dead accurate. What he gets wrong is the thermostat acts as a flow restrictor even when it is wide open. That being said a 160 and 180 thermostat will not make any difference if your car is overheating at say 210° . That is a radiator, cooling fan, or airflow problem.
Thanks for watching! Glad this video helped you out!
But what he's saying is that if you put in a t-stat that is closer to the efficiency of your rad, the engine will maintain that temp because it actually does open and close, to keep the water in the rad, to cool it off
@@jakefriesenjake He probably didnt watch the entire video and doesn't realize hes repeating what I already said. Or he made the comment before he got to the part where I said exactly what he wrote. Happens all the time. People have very short attention spans these days.
@@BadLuckGarage I put in a 180 instead of a 160. I think it was opening and closing at 180, plus or minus. The E fan was setup to come on at 185 and turn off at 175 or so. I had it idling hot, with some revving (500 hp, 381 cid, big cam, 9.5 ratio, aluminum heads), the fan did cycle on and off like 6 times, in the garage (73 f).
But when I took it for a cruise later that day (78 f), the fan would also cycle on and off, but around 190 to 200. Driving around heats up the engine more than idle. Before, with the 160, the fan was always on, with the 180, it cycles on and off at least. If I were to put in a high flow 195, it would probably be ok! But 195 to 205 is still a tad warm for me......
Still not overheating but what will it do in 100f outside?
So I'm ripping it all out, converting my single pass Aluminum rad to a triple pass, making a full custom aluminum shroud (full size as the core) and adding another 10" spal fan (800 cfm) to the setup with a 10 second delay relay. The original fan (15" flex-a-lite 3300 cfm) will slide over to accommodate, inside the new shroud.
Going to try royal purple additive and more distilled water and less antifreeze in the system.
Going to try a high flow 180 t-stat. That better solve my problem!
The higher temp or lower temp thermostats will still open when the coolant reaches above the temp even the hottest temp thermostat. So the restriction of any temp thermostat just being enough to restrict the coolant flow in the heat. In the cold it would make a bigger difference. No thermostat in the heat will cause a boil over. In the cold no thermostat the engine might not idle down because the temperature will not get hot enough. I used to own an Oldsmobile Cutlass and I didn't know that it didn't have a thermostat in the replacement manifold the guy sold with the car. So in the summer after driving an hour it blew a heater hose. The coolant was super over heated. Your correct about the different effects about the different temp thermostats or not having a thermostat will cause an engine.
Thanks a lot, great video! We used to run plain water with no thermostat in Miami years ago. Those were the days of cast iron blocks and heads!
This was explained 10/10
Couldn’t have been any better
perfect explanation * I think im the perfect application for a 160° thermostat because the fan is hydraulic so I believe its always running).
On my blown 427 BBC, I run no bypass, I run a restrictor plate instead of thermostat and vent coolant from back of both heads, Summertime it runs 180 to 200deg.
Funny you said Arizona... I'm in Arizona and it's been 115 to 120 for the last 2 weeks. The thermostat housing on my Ram cracked last week. I put a new tstat & housing on but wish I had did some research before going OEM. I'm about to put 180 in it with the clutch fan delete and add the V6 electric fan with a tune. Thanks for the vid.
I added a 180°F (82°C) thermostat in my 4.0L Thor V8 Land Rover Discovery 2 engine over the stock t-stat of 190°F (88°C). Works great for me back when I was in Atlanta and now in Suffolk, England. No valve tapping, no head gasket failure and no slipped liners due to a flawed overheating engine. 💪🏼
Thanks for watching. Glad this video helped you out!
I have a situation you didn't quite cover...
My cooling system is not efficient enough for my engine swap. While doing the parts order I for the build got a 62⁰c (143⁰f) thermostat. And my temps average 80-90⁰c (176-195⁰f) cruising (which is a little high before hard driving). Watching your awesome video, I've worked out this is not the best idea. I have two other options for my engine, 76⁰c (169⁰f) or 82⁰c (180⁰f) what would you recommend?
the arizona reference answered all my questions i hate 105 degree weather
You did a good job. I never thought of the stat as a input controlling device, only an output controlling device. But it makes sense. The stat regulates the temp where coolant flows into the engine, hopefully putting the radiator in a position to properly cool the engine.
Cooling systems for carb engines must be different the F.I. engines. What's the temp difference radiator input vs output which indicates how efficient my cooling system is. I think that's the key.
Definitely don't want to run your engine too cold as there's many problems that come from this but great explanation because even on our dirt track cars we don't run thermostats but we do put a washer in the hole so the water has time to cool in the radiator more before it circulates to the engine
What is considered too cold? I’m looking at a 68c/154f thermostat for my 1JZGTE.
Chase bays tucked thick radiator with 2 thick ass fans. Florida temps.
@@driftingbrandonc.6480 I ran an Impala at 140f for 289,000 miles before wrecking it.
0 negative side effects, underhood temps down, increased rubber component life. Same fuel economy.
Did not get stuck in open-loop despite the comments.
180 stat, 190 fan setting, runs 190, even if sitting, idling for 1/2 hour bsing with a friend or traffic holdup. Find engine runs smoother, quieter and more efficiently for grocery getting. Track day - 160 stat, 160 fan setting, mech timer on underside of dash, run for 1/2 hour after parking car, I walk away to spectate or eat and come back to cool engine, ready for next run.
Great explanation, must always a thermostat to control flow. And 180 is the perfect temp. I recently had to my water pump replaced and my mechanic insisted on 195 Stat guess whst, fans are coming on more than before.. not overheating, just running hotter than I comfortable with 0:06
Iam glad because I grew up the oldest girl/only girl -poor with all brothers and they was all truck drivers and all also mechanics I grew up hearing a lot about this or that I would be great for working at a parts store,yet I had never worked on any vehicle not even change oil til my dad pasted away and I was given his 1959 Ford with a 302 with a c4 trany so I had to learn how too,so I could finish it so I could drive it and I lost 2 brothers that helped a little before they died but I am having to fix everything on it then my oldest daughter gave me a 2006 Subaru Forester that needed a water pump and thermostat and iam to poor to pay a stupidly high price f that lol so anyways thank you for your video I liked and subscribed to your channel thanks again I hope all your videos are great like this one keep up the good work and have a great day
Great info. I’m working on getting control of temps in my foxbody (supercharged 347) with a 160 thermostat. On the hwy it tends to stay steady around 195 at cruising speeds and actually drops a bit when I speed up. But in stop and go traffic, it averages 210 or even higher sometimes. So that tells me that the cooling system is working, because temps are fine a hwy speeds, but my e fans are pulling enough ait because it heats up when I’m going slow. So my next project is Spal fans that pull a lot more CFMs than my current mishimotos.
Thanks for watching. Glad this video helped you out!
I have a Chevy big block 348 1961 impala running a Lil hot, I wanna change thermostat not sure what’s in it? Should I go 180/195. Everything is original radiator etc.? Oh I live in Northern California summer a lot of 95/105 degree days
This makes sense on cars with upper thermostats but lower thermistats ? Mine is oem and lower hose is 99% akwats cold ..new thermostat twice over ..fans not kicking in ..ty
makes sense here but i've seen over circulating over heat them and i've seen lower temp thermostats make a noticeable difference. i think if lower temps are the goal, a step down on thermostat is a viable option. i wouldn't go lower than 180ish.. done the lowest temp i could find on an old f150 once. it was carbed.. it didn't get warm enough to make normal power lol. kept temps down though.
Whether it hurts or helps depends 100% on the efficiency of the rest of your cooling system as explained in the video…..multiple times.
Just bought a 66 mustang with 289. Guy said it has no tstat. Runs cool. Think I need to instal one
Good video. People need to think of a properly working t-stat, as a "controlled restriction" that simply keeps the coolant from flowing TOO fast!
Exactly!👍
I have run a 160° in my cammed/tuned gmc sierra for years with factory radiator and e-fans. I live in central tx where its usually hot af. My temps usually run right around 180°. So your right on the money! My factory cooling system is only efficient enough to maintain 180°. Luckily ive had no overheating issues yet. Ill be switching to a 180 tstat.
If your able to keep it at 180 the way it is then I'd just say leave it the way it is unless you start seeing it "run away" when it gets hotter outside.
True. I have removed my thermostat. At idle my coolant temp coming out frm the bottom of radiator is 78celcius. However when driving the temp goes up to 89celcius. All else in constant as My electric fan in direct always on. Which means the temp goes up as rpm increases which I believe is because the coolant is flowing too fast through the radiator.
Flush the cooling system and put in a new thermostat should fix any overheating problem. And keep the radiator clean from bugs and dirt.
The coolant crossover between heads sometimes get rusty. That also cause overheating problems
??? If you run a thermostat or restrictor then it will slow the flow down. So if the flow slows down in the radiator to get cooler temps back into the engine- that also allowed the engine to heat up longer and greater on the other side. ??
@@Michael-qy1jzhuh?
Are there specific thermostat to be used in vehicles or are thermostat universal
Done this inc new ac condensor ..belts pump etc thermostat still lower hose cold no fans kicking in likely due to thermostat not opening
Thx for the video. I think I put a 160 in my van on accident. Would run great during the winter, come the summer months it would run fine too at start up and on the highway. But if I let it start idling when warmed up it would overheat like no ones business.
What did you do?
I changed engine out of my boat it had a ton of hours on it it was a 454 and when we tore that motor apart it was absolutely as clean as a brand new engine and all engines I have see are this way unless the never changed the oil . That motor ran 135-150 and it never cooked the oil from high temperatures. But I really don’t know but you can tell way and car motor will have sludge and dirty and a marine engines on older boats just spotless so can you tell me the reason if it’s not the temperature?
2013 dodge durango ALWAYS going through thermostats they only sell 203 degree stats in o rileys anf auto zone would a 180 help
My 1985 car comes with a 190 thermostat. It does get very hot on the 90 + degree days! So, not sure what to do, as we also get -45 degree days. I do drive my car everyday. I also put in the larger rad, but it still gets hot. And hot air just does not help. So I try only to drive it to work and home on those very hot days. Any suggestions would be great. The only other comment I found was to run the lower thermo in summer and put the higher temp one in winter. ...I can work a lot on my car, so I could change this out. I do hate getting leaks there however, which it can be prone to do...oh well!
Very detailed video, thanks. However, being in a hot tropical country with heavy daily traffic, things are different. We bring lots of European cars into the country, and every one of them need to go through a check to replace to lower thermostats mostly 75-82C range, larger clutch fans with more blades and additional electric fans upfront to assist and sometimes even the radiators. These are generally done by the franchise dealers or authorised workshops. Without these changes, blocks or heads have cracked easily. Every importer goes through to make these changes. My friends in the middle east also do the same. Just thought I share.
That is exactly what I explained in the video. The entire cooling system has to be capable of supporting the lower temp thermostat. The fact that you have to upgrade all those parts supports what I was attempting to explain.
Do engineers think about the Caribbean where the heat is just too much? Here in Puerto Rico if the car is not insanely computerized we just pull out that sucker ! Is too hot over here !
I’m sure it is.
The lower thermostat temp will do nothing to cure overheat problems. If you imported a car from a different area it might be that the radiator area and flow might be to small for the area you are driving the car now.
You didn’t watch the video? That doesn’t fix your issue, sir.
thank you very much for this much needed info you are alright man
Answered most of my questions. Thanks you did well. Thanks
Great to hear!
Will operating the engine with a 180 T Stat that came with a 203 T Stat cause premature engine wear due to operating at a colder temperature?
I take the center out of my thermostat it slows the flow down to give it time to cool. Arkansas summer
Thanks for watching. Glad this video helped you out!
So what about a 305 v8 engine on a 1975 Squarebody? I didn’t even know anything about this till I saw someone asking about this on a group on FB. Now I’m wondering if my truck is running too cold in the winter. Does the thermostat have some engraving that tells you which one it is ?
Thank you for this excellent video. Your details were appreciated. Yes, the grandpa story was true for me as a young kid. Good stuff. Carry On Sir!
I got a 195 aftermarket thermostat on my hot air 1984 turbo regal with the new alloy radiator and fans do you think I’ll be ok with this set up. I got the fans running all the time when the car is on
Head gasket sealer scenario yes remove thermostat allow engine to circulate the sealer
I wouldn’t recommend using dealers in your coolant system. They tend to reduce heat transfer and reduce cooling system efficiency. If you have a leaking head gasket, fix it correctly.
My temperature gauge started reading higher than it always used to (about 9/16 or 5/8 of the gauge rather than 1/2) after I changed my power steering pump. To change the power steering pump you have to remove one of the water pump bolts, and coolant leaks out when you do that. I filled it back up with coolant when I was done of course, but because the gauge was reading hotter than usual, I figured air must have gotten into the system. I've let the engine idle while parked on a steep hill (front of the car higher than the rear) and the radiator cap removed, 4 or 5 times now, for about 45 minutes at a time, and no change with the gauge reading.
I was thinking that maybe the thermostat isn't opening all the way, and it started doing it around the time I changed the power steering pump as a matter of mere coincidence. However, today when I was trying to burp the cooling system yet again, I checked the temperatures with an infrared thermometer gun, and they all seem normal. The temperature of the coolant itself, measured through the open filler neck, was about 170 degrees F; the temperature of the top of the radiator was about 180, and the temperature of the intake manifold near where the upper radiator hose enters ranged from 193 to 197, usually 195, every time I checked it over about a half hour period. Since it's a 195-degree thermostat, I'd say the temperatures are all normal.
I don't know what's causing the gauge to read higher than it always used to. Maybe the temperature sensor/sender is screwed up?
Possibly
That wouldn't be a 2000's chevy/gmc 1500 , Tahoe, Burban etc would it? The Guage clusters on those get like that after so many years / miles.
I just canceled my order for my 140° thermostat and went OEM. Thank you sir!
Question though, I drive up a mountain daily and in summer with 110° temp. outside. Would a aluminum radiator help my cooling system to work easier?
An aluminum radiator with a thicker core(s) or even a dual pass radiator would. A stock sized replacement might help a little but you probably wouldn’t notice much of a difference unless your stock radiator was just really clogged up. More cores and more passes is where it’s really at.
4- core Radiator. 👍🏻
I had a tahoe in the virgin island and had no thermostat and I never had a problem my truck never overheated once. I new I had a problem with the pump when it started to get hot
Hello Joseph Freeman, Thanks for watching! Im glad this video helped you out!
I ran a Chevy Cobalt without a thermometer. The car coolant ran about 190 with a thermostat and 154 without a thermostat. The cab defroster took 5 to 9 more minutes to heat up. My cooling system had a 1/2 broken fan.
I had a similar experience with Impala.
@@DarkLinkAD Did yall use a washer or just took it out? i have a crown vic not sure where i should start if i do need to get a washer when it comes to figuring out what size one to get
Hey I've been working on cars forever too but I've got up there in age and more I'm like dealing with a clogged therm, but also a pin hole in my radiator, hence the clogged thermostat. Lol did it myself putting stuff in the system. Afraid to have to pull this radiator... 03 Buick century you have to remove the motor mounts and all sorts of stuff. Any advice. Other than have someone else do it
Like how do you get the fans to come on sooner or more often without wiring it.
That would need to be adjusted in the tune. 👍
One more thing. Where would I find adapters for the trans lines going to the radiator
My jku runs at 240 degrees on a 70 degree day. I had to put a low temp thermostat in just to keep it cool. Stock jeeps have a 203 degree thermostat. They are at almost boiling temp before thermostat opens.
If you listening to this guy through the whole video you will understand ❤thank buddy I'm subscribed u 🎁 u r the main man thanks teacher 🎉
Thanks and welcome!
Any details on how to control the fan temp? 3800 V2 come on a 210 degrees.
Tune
If it’s OBDII you’ll most likely you’ll need to change the fan parameters in your tune.
And I always buy failsafe stats when they fail they are always open so you can keep on trucking to a parts store and get a new one .
I appreciate this video. Led me to fix the actual problem with my truck rather than mask it
So did you do? It fix it?
I feel my cooling system
keeps my operating temperature below 180 degrees. I ran a thermostat again to save gas. I didn't change hoses when I changed to a better radiator and blew a hose up. It's about 100°F outside now. My thermostat was new. I tested it in hot water. I switched to water and coolant without freeze protection, pulle out the thermo and it's running cooler. I felt 180 was causing the car to run hotter than needed. My fans stay running right now because the coolant temp senspr
quit and I just unplugged it so It won't burn up. This is very interesting stuff!!
hey brother really great video. good info. I have a mopar 440 with no thermostat and big radiator. runs great and tends to over heat. Do you recommend putting in a 160 thermostat. Electric fans. Maybe I should go back to mechanical fan ??? Thanks man. You are above most you tubers for sure.
Watch the video?
So I guess even the factory 195 or 197 thermostat is still open the whole time because the Silverados all run right at 210. At least that’s what is on the gauge in the middle. It stays closed until it gets 197 ish and then pretty much stays open. I’ve never seen the gauge move from 210 once it gets there.
I build waterpumps for a living, even LS one's. Your waterpump doesn't look goofy one bit, LOL. :)
I thought my carburetor was pretty spot on too. 🤣
@@BadLuckGarage Yup!! LOL
When my t stat sticks I replace it with a restrictor plate to stop the over heating problem ,it works like a Tstat but has no moving parts
Thanks for watching. Glad this video helped you out!
Thank you for this information. Very helpful and I learned something new
So if I'm running a 180 deg thermostat set my radiator fan to come on at 190 and turn off at 180 am I right??
I'm about to install a electric radiator fan on my v8 that has a belt driven viscous fan.
I've got a davies craig digital controller for the fan. So set the fan to come on about 10 deg hotter than your thermostat? And to turn off at thermostat temp? As a general rule? I love your videos and how you explain it. Keep em coming mate. Hello from Australia 🇦🇺 👍
What about the 3.8 3800 V6 engines GM made where the intake manifold goes out? They put in a 180 degree thermostat to replace the 192, 190 or 195 degree thermostat
And?
I Had A 2004 Monte Carlo With A 160F In It. Would Run At 180F. This Was With Electric Water Pump, Radiator That Was 2 Times Thicker With Stock Radiator Fan. I Put In A 180F T Stat And It Ran 190F. The Cooling System Seemed Like It Was Capable Right Between 160 And 180. This Time Around I Got A Radiator That's Even Thicker And Upgraded The Stock Fans To 2 14" Spal Fans (the big motor versions) I'm Hoping That Will Keep It At 160 For The Most Part. My 5.7 Hemi Turbo Jeep On The Other Hand Has A Upgraded Massive 2-3/4" Thick Radiator With Stock Massive Hydraulic Radiator Fan (powered by the power steering pump) That Things Sits At 160-165 99% Of The Time. Beating On It The Hotest I Got The Coolant Was 175 haha Hot Day And All.
So it's about the air to water heat exchange in the radiator due to uncontrolled coolant velocity. Makes sense but raises other questions about high flow water pumps (like Flowkooler), high flow thermostats (Motorad) and using aftermarket radiators. But the bottom line is: always keep the low coolant temp limit at Stock OE Spec.
Really no question there brother. The high flow pumps and thermostats just allow the coolant to be pumped to the radiator and faster once the thermostat opens and the better aftermarket radiators allow the heat to dissipate faster from the coolant.
That was one of the best presentations I have seen. Thanks so much!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks a lot Big Man.You explain so good.
Well I got this second hand '95 Accord, it was pristine no changes no accidents just great, but there was no thermostat.
First thing I took it to the mechanic, he handled her changed a few hoses and cleaned up some stuff. When I got back to pick the car up, he said "Do not put a thermostat in", and then, more interesting, "Do not put any antifreeze in the coolant", where manufacturer's strict suggestion was 50/50. When I asked why he said "It will damage this and that". Anyways I said OK it was cold and late so I took the car out back home. I never spoke to him ever again because later it appears he overpriced his job on my car.
But I am still desperately trying to understand what might be laying under his statement of not putting on a thermostat or especially antifreeze to the coolant liquid. Still trying to find out about that reasoning.
Sounds like your “mechanic” may actually be a “MeKaNik”
this sir is very well explained!
Thanks for watching. Glad this video helped you out!
I think imma go 180 on a 6.0 ls 2004 yukon denali .the 160 not working for me temperature just go high
Your Yukon should have a 195* thermostat and running temperature somewhere between 205-210*. That’s normal operating temp for those engines.
My car is running hot but not overheating. I have a 2010 VE HSV GTS E2 LS3 engine. When I got the car the oil temperature would run at 100 degrees C (212 degrees F for Americans) Now has gone up to about 118 degrees C (244 F ) The coolant is always on 100 - 105 degrees (212 - 221 degrees F) even on freeways doing 100 km/hr (62 m/pr) I just changed my thermostat but it seems to be the same as before changing. There are no check engine or cluster lights on dash. when bleeding the coolant there is a very strong swirl in the radiator so the water pump is working the fluid level does drop but at around the 100-105 degree C (212 - 221 F) I'm really confused this is my first V8. My back up car is a L67 with a 82 degree thermostat (179 F) and runs at 82 degrees all the time will raise temp when sitting at lights.
Any help would be deeply appreciated.
You would have to have 6 or 8 core radiator with a 160 thermostat with a constant on electric fan. 180° is the coolest thermostat I have ever had in a 8 cylinder gas engine.
exactly
my 302 with a 3 core dual 12 in E fans stays at 160
Can you please answer a question. I've watched both videos. The one where you explain how to wire up the relays and electric fans from the company that don't give instructions. You said the system/relay/sensor won't work unless you run a 160° thermostat. Also I watch the video of should I run a 160° thermostat. Well I got the new fans/radiator installed and put a 160° thermostat in it. I'm in South Texas where temps have been 100+ for weeks. I took truck to work today and it ran hot didn't over heat but ran hot. Can I use 195° sensor as well as a 195° thermostat and get better results. 4.3 V6...thanks for all the videos....
Yes
I was trying to figure out why my 99 s10 with a 2.2 4 cylinder was running at 165, when the thermostat is supposed to be a 195. Welp here I go getting a new thermostat
I have a cammed 5.0 (302) Explorer with an aluminum radiator. I've thought of switching to a 180* thermostat to help combat hot Midwest summers where I don't get overheating issues but sluggish heat soak. Any Ford guys have experience with running a cooler thermostat on their v8s?
First of all thank you very much for taking the time to share these videos, they are of a great help for us that don't have the money to pay a professional like you. Question..... i have a 1985 ford bronco-ll that is overheating, the top hose is hot but the bottom hose is cold. I'm sure the thermostat is not opening by the way, these engines hold the thermostat at the bottom. (i removed the thermostat, put it in boiling water and it worked, it opened) Do you have an idea as why is that? Is there a way to install the thermostat at the top? Any suggestion or recommendations are of great help. thank you.
you should add about head temps because most chevys read from head on gauge on dash. so 195 will make it run 205-210 at heads etc i may not be exact but you get the idea. also 190-220 is supposed to be normal for sbc and almost every new truck these days run 210 all the time
Absolutely spot on.👍
GM started running 210 in all their 90s models trucks 4 fuel efficiency
First time watching and I'm going to subscribe right now!
Gotta Love IT
Welcome aboard!
I hope
This guy got more video like about water pump stuff or fan stuff how it works and stuff very good video I feel I am back in school
I added a larger aluminum radiator. It keeps it at 160 no problem.
Had this problem with 1990 gmc 5.7 had orignal copper radiator and changed it started running above 160
4- core Radiator
Can I run no thermostat in a turbo mazda that I own in Florida? Please respond if you see this. My buddy has his out right now in his Subaru here in Florida and it just runs super cold all day No pronls at all
Watch the video again pay attention to what I’m saying.
Very informative. Several points made here that id never considered, even after 25 years of tinkering with cars. Great video
Well thanks I'm not stupid just new to electric fans and I was told by the engine builder to run a 160° thermo and can't maintain it when it gets warmer outside so I guess. My cooling system is just a little under par
This is a debate that's been going on for generations, back when I went to automotive tech school (40+ years ago) the instructor had all the students debate the very same thing amongst ourselves while he listened, when we were done, he taught us that the main function of thermostats in an internal combustion engine was not to help cool the engine but rather the reverse, to help the engine warm up during start ups, albeit, while there is a slight cooling advantage to having a thermostat installed, that's not the original intended function of the design, what determines what temp thermostat used (pre-emissions controlled) is determined by your climate, cold weather vehicles would use a 160 degree thermostat and warmer climate vehicles would use higher temp thermostats like a 180+ degree thermostat. Some students tried to debate with the instructor the virtues of the cooling benefits of higher temp thermostats, he explained that by the time the engine has fully warmed up, running at normal operating temps and gotten a few cycles of coolant flow, the thermostat is partially to fully opened due to temperature and coolant pressure from both heat expansion and from constant water pump circulation, even with a good radiator and air flow, coolant temps don't cool off enough to close the thermostat, as most decent radiators will only cool off the coolant between 10-15 degrees.
Thanks for watching. Glad this video helped you out.