The temperature of my Camaro runs around 160 which seems high. If i get on it alot it goes up to 220+. Its never got over 230 BUT the max is 260 and this worries me. Whats your average temperature?

I live in Cincy, Ohio.

 

someone probably stuck in a 160 t-stat...... Thats good and bad imo. Good if they have fan switch to match and bad since it's going in to winter.

Plus it's not a good idea to run that low of temp without computer mods your engine will probably never get out of startup loop which means bad gas milage and crappy performance.

Anyways a stock engine of ours uses a 195 t-stat i beleive and a 215 fan switch i beleive( could be wrong but, it's something around their). The 215* fan switch would be why you don't go over 220*.

i'd swap that t-stat out for a 180* or 185*. Then get a hold of a 185*fan switch from jegs or summit, that should keep your engine cool as long as the waterpump and radiater are up to the task (along with the coolant itself).

G/l and these engines do run high temperatures from factory so it would be a good idea to check you have the right ratio of coolant to water in your cooling system while your checking in to it.

 

195° is the stock thermostat setting and is what most IC engine are regulated at today. In fact I think some even run hotter now. 160° can be too low and keep your car from reaching closed loop operation if it is cold outside. These cars heat up to a certain point (can't remember the stock fan setting) until the fan kciks on and brings it back down. It is a cycle. When you are at a steady speed the temp will stay put because air is constantly passing through the radiator. Your car sounds normal.

 

now that I think about it.. it runs around 185 or so.. I only take 10 minute drives to school and back normally.. But i always give it time to warm up.. So what temperature is best for performance?

 

Whatever you motor wants. I would not want it below 180* unless you know what you are doing with your modifications, and computer.

 

The stock cooling system is designed to work optimally around 200+ degrees or so. With a low temp t-stat, itll run cool in the winter, but come back up to 200-220 degrees under high load or on hot days. Given this Id just stick a stock temp t-stat in there so the engine temps are more consistant year around.

 

It should be a stock t-stat still in my car.. the previous owner was an old woman.

 

Oh man, my first year of owning the car, the goal was to get it to operate at 180 all the time.
Let me tell you its hard, if impossible without a computer tune.
What you wanna do is go to tbichips.com and ask brian for a mild stage2 chip. It will run with a 170 thermostat, but 91 octane gas. I have ran that for over a year now and my temps don't get up above 180 unless I am going up the mountain on a hot day, to which it will climb to 200 and stay there.

On your stock configuration I would not go lower than 180. I ran 180 for few months, but I made sure I wired my fan so i can turn it on at 180.
This is easy, about 8-10 buck worth for the wire the switch and the t-stat, and you are ready to rock and roll.

Also, I've ran here in Colorado winter, which got down to 10degrees with my 170 thermo and the chip, and the car still got nice and toasty inside. So, don't worry much about achieving heat in the winter. It aint that bad.

 

I'm going to go ahead and disagree. I wouldn't bother with a mail order chip. You say you take 10 minute trips on average and it runs around 185, that tells me that you most likely DO have a stock thermostat in there, its just not heating up completely yet.

The temps you're describing are fine for your car, don't fret. I see absolutely no point in getting a lower thermo and some chip to keep it around 180* when GM made the car to operate around 200* with the stock cooling. Keeping it all stock keeps the car at very similar operating temperature ranges all year round.

The power levels that stock TBI cars are at, if you're looking to pick up some power with a lower stat, look elsewhere. There are better ways to pick up a few horses.

 

i'm looking for every way to get horses once i get a job after football season is over.. I'm getting a 3.73 rear end gear and an open element air filter and a full exhaust kit (headers/ exhaust).

Does going over 220 make it too hott to perform with its full capability?

 

I ran a 160 for a short time ... actually .. a 160 drilled out .. no airdam .... got the airdam... engine never warmed up

Don't go lower than 180 on a thermostat ... if it won't cool enough .. you have a few options:

Flush the system

Install a manual fan switch (something I have to do)
Until installing fan switch .. heck .. turn A/C on low... so ya can hear the fan turn on.. cools the engine .. but of course better to have a fan switch

Get one of those fan switch controllers ... although for that price.. I think it's better to instal lthe manual fan switch ... it's 10-15 bucks ... compared to say 60 bucks for a good fan switch controller

 

iT COOLS TOO WELL. FOR SOME REASON, MY FAN DECIDED TO STOP RUNNING, SO I HAD TO LEAVE THE A/C ON LOW. I ALSO HAD A 160 THERMOSTAT AND THE CAR NEVER GETS ABOVE 160. NEVER USE A 160 THERMOSTAT.

 

Learn to use it.

Proper capitalization is the diffrence between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse, and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

 

R O F L M A O !!!!!!!!

 

The only way to run cooler properly is to get the chip.
I can see how the timing and spark could differentiate between motor, but the closed and open loop are almost always the same.

Unless you wanna burn your own chips, I would suggest getting one that just controls the open and closed loop, so that way you are not messing with the rest of it.

I've experimented with about 12 different thermos, from 160 -195, hole drilled, two holes drilled etc.
Than I replaced my whole cooling system, and experimented with 3 water pumps.

What I setteled on was, Bosch water pump (belive it or not), Aluminum replacement radiator, tranny coolant(not really relevant), 170 thermostat, switch wired so I can turn the fan manually, and a chip to get the car heated right.

The car runs about 1.5 marks over the first big mark???(sorry can't explain it any better now).
Anyways, i have a gauge too that mounts to my thermostat housing and I can tell you one thing about our stock gauges.
They are crap, don't ever trust that gauge. Although it is measuring the coolant in the head, as opposed to the waterneck, it could be way off.
I figured that if you move the wire from the sending unit around you will find that the temperature could fluctuate 10-30 degrees. So, mount another one so that you can at least tell what your coolant temp is, that way you will know when you are overheating.

The hottest I get, on a hot summer day with everything going is about 180-190 and that is if I am heavy likea **** on the pedal.
So, I understand what these guys are telling you, but to really do something right with the way the motor cools you really have to do the chip.

Thats what I think.
Thanks.

Oh, I run toasty during winter too, you know why??
Well, there are two different ways.

I always turn my fan on early to keep the car cool, and even than it gets nice and toasty in the car. This is in 10degree weather too.

The other way is my wired swithc. I just let the car heat up to 190-200 and than turn the fan on. Even for emmissions that what I do, it works great.