Yelo

An engine operates by creating and then using heat energy in the form of a fuel/air explosion in the cylinder, the longer the heat can be contained in the system the more power is produced...this is called the "Adiabatic Efficiency" of an engine, NO internal combustion engine is 100% adiabatically efficient but the hotter an engine can run without incurring problems like detonation or vapor-lock the better (this is NOT the case with the intake charge temp....DO NOT confuse the two). By dropping from a 185 deg to a 160 deg thermostat you are lowering the adiabatic effiency of the engine you are putting it into. The use of a 160 deg thermostat is a band-aid to cover up more serious problems like poor cylinder head design and inefficient construction materials. With the new advances in cylinder head and piston design the use of a 160 thermostat really is pointless.

Think about it this way.....I know guys on here that are running 11.3:1 CR, pump gas and the stock 185 deg thermostat without detonation problems....the ONLY reason they would need to go to a lower-temp 'stat is to control detonation if it occured with reasonable timing settings (not likely as our head design is AMAZING at controlling detonation)

Another thought on the matter.....GM runs a stock temp thermostat in the C5R Corvettes, If GM trusts that temp in a 500+ hp car DESIGNED to run flat out for hours I think I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and agree with them.

CHEVY6000VHO

iTrader: (2)

That does give a nice point of the 160* stat being a pointless mod.
I lost mpg's with the addition of the 160* stat. That's just the truth. I have not seen any real gains of using one other than the lower tranny temps.
When I get my truck squared away with GM (hopefully), I will be changing the stat to a 180* stat.

Jim

Yelo

The ONLY time I've ever run a 160 deg 'stat was on my '69 Nova with a 400cid motor, Cast Iron Dart heads, and 11.1:1 CR. I could only manage 28 deg total timing with the 180 deg 'stat, swapping to the 160 allowed me to run 32 deg total timing. After I swapped to Trick Flow aluminum heads due to a cracked valve seat in the Dart heads I again ran the 180 deg 'stat and was able to run the full 32 deg total timing because of the improvement in detonation resistance due to the cooler running aluminum heads.....and this is on a motor series NOTORIOUS for it's suck-*** cooling system

'nuff said IMO