1992 Camaro RS 305 TBI convertible

Yes, I have read some of the other articles. Yes I read the sticky note on FAQ's for commonly asked questions. (Must we ALL be treated like children on a forum whose sole function is devoted to cooling down our cars????)

I think the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked, so I will pose my question to the board and live with the consequences!

I want my car to run cooler! I do not like the needle hovering around 220 degrees. I am used to seeing those readings closer to the 195 mark. Anyhow........

Okay cooler thermostat. 170 degrees. Is the factory thermostat set at 195 or higher? If I run the cooler thermostat, I realize that that is not the total answer to the problem. If my fan does not turn on until 234 degrees (or higher as I suspect!) then what is the point?

Derale Adjustable Fan Switch is this an easy mod to install? Hypertech? Jet fan switch? Is there an easier method (with less hacking and whacking) to have your fan turn on automatically at a lower temp? Any insights from members experienced with these problems and repairs would be GREATLY appreciated!

Steve

 

First off...


I know someone will post saying how great the factory gauges are, but I can't stand 'em. And I don't trust 'em AT ALL.

Either replace the water temp gauge with a good quality mechanical / electrical gauge or get ahold of a scan tool to see the actual temp put out by the sensor. You might be surprised at the difference.

I prefer mechanical, but that's just me. LESS things to go wrong, and it tells me the temp even when the key is turned off...comes in handy for the staging lanes to know how hot the car really is.

That's the FIRST step, however you do it. You need to VERIFY without a doubt the temp reading is correct. With a new sender and after trying 3 different FACTORY gauges in the SAME cluster, EACH read a different temp in the same conditions, and after verifying the actual temp, they were ALL OFF.

That being done, don't expect a 170 or 180 ( or 160 for that matter ) degree thermostat to make your car run that much cooler, if AT ALL.

The stock cooling system is designed to run at a certain temp by the engineers who created it. So a lower temp thermostat usually only effects how long it takes your car to come up to temp....I'm sure I'll get flamed on this too....so be it...this is a message board, pick which advice you wanna take and take your chances...it's your car.


That being said....

Once you verify the temp, if you're still running warmer than you'd like, why not just install a cheap and easy manual fan switch...connect it to the GROUND of the fan, not the POWER...that way when you want the fan on, flip the switch, it grounds the relay already there, and the fan comes on, and you don't have to worry about installing an inline fuse etc etc.


The aftermarket fan switches work, but the wrong choice of thermostat and switch can sometimes have the fan cutting on and off a good bit, and this is HARDER on the fan itself than leaving it on the whole time.



HTH

 

For what it's worth, here is the gospel according to Danno. The other post is right, first determine guage accuracy. Even with a scan tool the operating temp is only the reflection of the CTS or coolant temp sensor. When it's cold open the rad cap and dip a thermometer in to the coolant wait for some heat to develop and read it compared to the guage. The stock 195 stat will cause a guage reading at 45-50 mph right on the first line between the 100 and 220 marks. They were designed that way. The big question with these cars is when in stop and go traffic especially in hot weather. Any manufacturer who uses electric fans always allows a spread of 20 degrees or so to reduce useless fan cycling. Constant cycling reduces the life of the components and places a lot of stress on the charging system. Simply put, the system was designed correctly assuming all cooling system components are working correctly. Furthermore almost every engine in use runs at 195 and it's more than just emissions. They run thier best right around that point. Manual fan switches just hack up the car and are a total waste of time. The simplest way to reduce the temp a little and not have to hack the car up is to run a 180 stat with a fan switch that turns on at around 200-205. A 180 lets the engine stay around it's target temp and is a good compromise. 170 or lower it won't run right. You will still get the 20 degree spread before fan cycling, but the average temp will be 15 degrees lower depending on driving and ambient air temp. Personally my opinion has always been not so much the slight difference in coolant temp but more importantly oil temp. If you tend to run on the hot side a synthetic oil will probably extend the life of the engine more than lowering it 15 degrees or so. There is much differing opinion about this subject, my opinions have been formed by many years of talking this over with experts and engineers in the automotive field.