After installing my 14x4 K&N filter, my temp dropped from the regular 240 to a 220-225. Is that because i relocated the IAT sensor to a cooler spot?(right on top of the air filter) Does the IAT sensor measure the temperature under your hood and shows it in your dash or is it a different thermostat?

btw. I also flushed my coolant which helped bring the temps down another 2or3 degrees

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Mods:Hooker Aerochamber 3" exhaust, gutted kitty,
March 2 piece underdrive pullies, smog pump gone,;these two made a very noticable difference.
14x4 K&N open air element filter-the best mod so far
Eibach springs with KYB's are already installed up front. Gonna work on the rear soon.
Appearance: Harwood cowl hood, Z-28 wing, painted black-original color was light blue)

Stock Options:117,000 miles on motor, 5spd, TBI, 305, T-tops
Going to the track this summer, but i'm pretty sure i'm in the 15's now.

 

No, the IAT is not the temperature displayed on your dash gauge. The temp displayed is the coolant temperature. My guess is that the coolant flush is what lowered your temp. The air filter should have nothing to do with it.

------------------
Scott
88 GTA L98
14.389 @ 95.2 mph, 2.001 60'
In search of the elusive 1.9 60 foot time.

 

Thanks

-but it must have had to do with the air filter cause i drove my car after installing the K&N filter only and that's when i noticed the biggest temp drop. I did the flush a few days later.

------------------
Mods:Hooker Aerochamber 3" exhaust, gutted kitty,
March 2 piece underdrive pullies, smog pump gone,;these two made a very noticable difference.
14x4 K&N open air element filter-the best mod so far
Eibach springs with KYB's all around.
Appearance: Harwood cowl hood, Z-28 wing, painted black(7/20/00)-original color was light blue
*All these mods were made this year
Stock Options:117,000 miles on motor, 5spd, TBI, 305, T-tops
Going to the track this summer, but i'm pretty sure i'm in the 15's now.

 

The dash gauge is driven by a coolant temperature sensor, although there is a seperate coolant temp sensor used by the computer and one for the gauge. The IAT is used by the computer to detemine how rich to run the engine based on air temperature.

However, it still shouldn't have made a difference in operating temp.

Are you certain it did? Have you been having a cooler weather spell? The only thing I can think of is: the car WAS running lean (which makes it run hot). Relocating the IAT to a cooler spot made it run richer, correcting the lean condition and making it run cooler. Otherwise, there's no way the air cleaner should have made a significant difference.

 

Put a 160* thermostat in. It will drop your temp to 160 all of the time with the fan on. Is there an air scoop under your nose? Your temp looks a bit high.

-Erik W. '86 Firebird 2.8L FI

 

Egg Plant Jeff - your explanation seems to be the very reasonable, and that's probably why my car is running cooler. My car is been running at 240 ever since i bought it this January until i did this little swap.
My car seems to be running a lot stronger after it warms up though (which is around 200). I was thinking about swapping to a 180 degree thermostat because i have heard somewhere that 160 would be too much. is this true?

------------------
Mods:Hooker Aerochamber 3" exhaust, gutted kitty,
March 2 piece underdrive pullies, smog pump gone,;these two made a very noticable difference.
14x4 K&N open air element filter-the best mod so far
Eibach springs with KYB's all around.
Appearance: Harwood cowl hood, Z-28 wing, painted black(7/20/00)-original color was light blue
*All these mods were made this year
Stock Options:117,000 miles on motor, 5spd, TBI, 305, T-tops
Going to the track this summer, but i'm pretty sure i'm in the 15's now.

 

I like running a 180 deg t-stat with my carb, but with fuel injection, a 160 should be fine as long as you dont want to run your heater on really cold winter days.

------------------
-Justin-
T-Top '86 5.0L LG4 700R4
T-Top '92 5.0L TBI 700R4
My '86 Firebird Homepage
The F-body Model Kit Pictoral Archive (updated 5/15/00)

 

Why are you running so hot? 240 degrees? Even at 225-230 degrees, you are running way too hot. Unless your driving in gridlock traffic at 100+ degree air temps. IMO sounds like you may have a problem with your cooling system.

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1989 Firebird GTA: black on black 5.7 liter (N10 dual exhaust) with T-tops and leather.

 

In correction to above post. If you are now running between 210-220 degrees with the stock fan switch and stat, your running temp seems okay to me. However, if you have a lower temp fan switch and stat, you should be running alot cooler. Did you remember to flush out the engine block? This seems to really help too. :P

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1989 Firebird GTA: black on black 5.7 liter (N10 dual exhaust) with T-tops and leather.

 

OK Someone, I think it was Vader, had a list of the temperatures that the computer does everything at. Most were below 160, but a few were about 170. So for the computer to be absolutely happy, the lowest stat you ought to run would be a 180 or maybe a 170. I have a 180.

Now, that being said, there are quite a few people out there who run 160 stats without any problems at all. However I'm satisfied with my 180, it's considerably cooler than stock and it's good enough for me.

 

No, i didn't flush the engine block, just the radiator, and my running temps are now around 230. I will get the 180 degree thermostat pretty soon. Everything else in the coolent system is stock. But right now i have a bigger problem to worry about. I checked my oil this morning and there was about a 1/4" left on the dipstick. This is the second time i had to add about 1/2 bottle of oil in one week and there is some knocking noise coming out of the valve covers. I'm not too mad since i'm planning on buying the GM 330 hp 350, but i don't have any money right now

------------------
Mods:Hooker Aerochamber 3" exhaust, gutted kitty,
March 2 piece underdrive pullies, smog pump gone,;these two made a very noticable difference.
14x4 K&N open air element filter-the best mod so far
Eibach springs with KYB's all around.
Appearance: Harwood cowl hood, Z-28 wing, painted black(7/20/00)-original color was light blue
*All these mods were made this year
Stock Options:117,000 miles on motor, 5spd, TBI, 305, T-tops
Going to the track this summer, but i'm pretty sure i'm in the 15's now.

 

I flushed out my system completely when i replace my entire intake. I also replaced it with GM-DexCool II synthetic coolant. With my grifin radiator my car will not even get past 150. The highest I could ever get it before was 160. Is that to cold to be running? It is always fun trying to pass emmisions when your engine is sitting at 120.

 

Eggplant Jeff,

I'm only about 30 minutes from you. Like you, I run a 180° thermostat year round without problems. I would recommend a 170°, and not a 160° (see below). I couldn't find a 170° so I put in a 180°. Then I discovered this web site and found a source for the 170° thermostats in the TECH ARTICLES. Look under GM F-Body Electrical Coolant Fan Specifications and Modifications. I will drill small holes (as stated in the tech article) when I put in the 170°.

I would not use a 160° thermostat because it will not allow the engine to get hot enought to keep me warm in the winter. Last winter I had it in for about 3 weeks before changing it to a 180° because I coudn't get enough heat from my heater (wound up putting cardboard in front of the radiator!). At NON-highway speeds, the coolant temperature will be around whatever temperature the fan(s) come on/off. But at highway speeds, the coolant temperature will generally be at the thermostat temperature (equivelant to haveing the fans "on" all the time). I was cold with the 160° because my driving here is 95% highway!

I think a good compromise would be the 170°.

Remember, at highway speeds, coolant temperature should be at your thermostat temperature. Slower speeds will be determined when your fan(s) come "on" and "off".

//Stuart

[This message has been edited by Stuart Moss (edited August 01, 2000).]

 

If your cowl hood is functional you will notice a drop in engine temp too.

 

oh and I got a 160 stat is works great. however I would get the GM 170 stat and punch holes in it if I did it over again.