Well I just figured out what thermostat I am going to put in my GTA! It was very cool today like mid 80s I would guess, and I was just going to the store to pick something up quick. So I got in my GTA and left, when usually I let warm up a but before I leave. So, the car was about 130-140 degrees and I was trying to be quick. I noticed that the car had ALOT more throttle response and power than I have ever felt in it before. So I experimented a little bit. I took it out of D and put it in first. I then proceeded to launch the car and was astounded at how much more power this thing has when cooler... I mean I had tires spinning almost all the way through first gear. I looked in the rear view and all I saw was smoke. I had a grin from ear to ear, the biggest grin I have had in a very long time. Then I made a left turn at an intersection with the car in 2nd below drive, gave it gas as I was coming out of the corner and the *** end came out and slid the rest at 40mph.... My heart was pounding and I was ****ing shaking with a grin as wide as can be on my face that's how impressed I was. I don't have crap tires on there either, they are Goodyear eagle GS-D3 R compound tires. I finally found the key to a lot more performance from this car, and that's just getting it to run cooler!!!! Im going to put a 160 thermostat and get new fan switches and all that stuff to make keep it COOL. I never thought I would feel like that from that car being stock.... I would REALLY be interested to see a dyno test done with the car being about 150 degrees vs a car at the normal 210...

 

Fuel economy will suffer unless the ECM is reprogrammed to use the 160* stat. If the engine doesn't get warm enough, it will constantly run in open loop.

 

A 180 is a better choice. Cool engine, but allows closed loop operation. What is the temp at which the ECM goes into closed loop?

 

Yeah I figured it would, I am most likely going to have a PROM burned for it when I get a new job. For now I have a hypertech chip in it and they recommend a 160 thermo with it on the box, and now I see why!

 

Cool discovery My car always runs much more strongly when it isn't fully up to temp.


BTW, I like how mid 80's is "very cool" lol It just goes to show you how perception is everything!

 

I think this is more in the computer than the actual temperature of the engine.

 

do a tb bypass. cooler air=morepower.

 

I am going to do that to. matter a fact im am going to go look at it right now lol

 

I have the same problem buddy. ive got a 88 trans am it idels at 215 and i have little power off the line but 150 and under its crazy how it takes off

 

If you have severely limited power on hot takeoff, you might have a knocking problem that is causing the computer to pull timing.

 

My race engine always runs cold mainly because I run alcohol as a fuel. I try to build heat in the oil more than the coolant. When I'm at the starting line, the engine is usually 130-140*. Crossing the 1/4 mile it reaches 150*. I'll turn the fan on as I get onto the return road to keep the temperature under 180. Once back in the pits, the water pump and fan are left on and in 10-15 minutes and the engine is back to around 120* for the next run.

High temperatures 180-195* are good to lower emissions but don't make as much power as a cooler 160* engine temperature. The oil temperature is more important as it needs to get hot enough to evaporate condensation in the oil. Running an engine too cold for long periods of time is just as bad for an engine as running it too hot.

 

electric water pumps are nice

 

Cool is good to a point, but be aware that engines running 160 or less will wear out the cylinders and rings much sooner. Look at the chart and you can see why automakers use 195 deg. stats.

 

50 hour test. I doubt my engine runs that much in 4 years.

 

That trend will also probably fail to continue. It should reach a point where wear tapers off as the "newness" of the motor is removed and the parts wear in to one another.

 

Well the car is not going to be running at 160 when I put in this new thermostat. Something drastic has to be done because Sitting in traffic right now for long periods of time the car will get up to 260. I tried to take it down vegas blv once and it got up to the red bar above 260 on the dash and almost imploded. Thats gotta hurt the engine more that running a little cooler.

 

I had a 160 stat running the stock tune and it always went into closed loop no problem. You also have to remember, if you do a lot of city driving, it's not always going to be consistently at 160 all the time.

 

That's not normal no matter what stat you have. Are you sure your fans are turning on? I believe the low speed comes on at 220, and the high speed at 230.

 

Yeah, I did check and they do come on. I put in the hypertech chip just because it does turn on the fan sooner, and the car is a little cooler. I was wondering if their could be a problem with the thermostat were it doesn't open up all the way or something to allow for optimum flow. Or could it be the radiator going bad? The water pump was just changed with a brand new unit about 2 months ago. I am going to do the TB bypass mod, put in a 160 thermo and flush the coolant system. Do you have to burp the system after you flush the coolant? If so how? Thanks guys.