I have an TPI L98 w/ a 160 T-stat and it runs about 220 most of the time. It still doesn't have 500 miles on it since the rebuild so that may have a lot to do w/ it. I was just wondering if this is normal.

 

220 seems a little high. Before I changed engines, mine ran regularly around 200-210. I then replaced the engine, put a 160* Tstat in, ran 85/15 distilled water to antifreeze and hooked up the fan to run constantly (I was moving to Florida). Now the car won't run over 160* even in the dead of summer which in my opinion is too cool. I'd like to see it run between 180-195.

That's my opinion anyway.

 

My TPI 305 runs about that hot too. I don't recall what thermostat, maybe a 180. The thermostat shouldn't really affect anything but the minimum temperature it can run at after warming up though. Changing the temp that your fans run is the way to get it to run cooler (assuming the rest of the cooling system is adequate).

 

With a 160* you shouldn't be running that warm. When does it run warm, traffic/highway.
Right now I'm using a 180*, I have no fan shroud and in the winter it doesn't go over 190*.

 

mine never goes past 160 even tho the fan doesnt work on its own anymore...if im moving at all (even at like 5mph) it will not go over 160...i have a 180 stat but i think this is because i have a brand new radiator and water pump...seems to circulate really well

 

Mine stays around 170-180 range with the 160 therm in.

 

155/160 on the highway,and 180/190 in bumper to bumper traffic.

 

my car on the highway usaully runs about one notch before the first quarter mark(170?)

and one notch after while idiling(traffic)

i have a 180 thermo and aluminum water pump

 

When I rebiult my engine in ran that warm for a while too then it was ok. One thing to remember just chaning the tstat wont make it run cool because the fan dosent come on until like 220 or so. This is the temp I read on here and in my camaro book. So what you have to do is buy a diffrent fan chip or make a in car switch to turn the fan on. Any more questions just e-mail me i know all abou this crap.

Agent19890@aol.com

 

I have the 195 stat in my bone stock L98. It runs a few notches below 220 unless I let it idle for a few minutes, then it eventually hits 220, and the fan comes on. Moving at all, and it drops back below 220.

 

Good point.

 

I put a 160* thermostat and a new water pump in my gta. But it still runs maybe 170 or so on the highway but it heats up to about 210 or so in traffic. I have a toggle switch for the auxillary fan now so if i get stuck in stop-and-go traffic, i turn it on and the engine won't go above 180.

 

My 305 TPI with a 160 stat runs at 190 on my Auto Xray scanner. The gauge tells me 160 but it is really running 30 degrees more.

 

With the dual electric fans hardwired to run all the time, it runs about 180* normally during the Summer days and about 160* at night.

 

Where is the switch for the fan located anyway? I'm tempted to run a bypass so I can run it whenever I want, but would also like to keep the original switch in case I forget sometimes to turn it on. Cruizin down open roads I run about 160 I guess, but going up steep hills (lots of em over here), stop and go traffic, and high speeds on the autobahn make it shoot up to 220 easy then the fan kicks in. I'd like to at least slow down the temp rise somewhat.

 

You have an air deflector? At high speeds, the air from the deflector is probably more than the fan can provide. I run 175 in cool weather. 185 in warm weather with or without the AC on, in town and highway. Mechanical temp guage, 180 thermostat, flex fan, good 3 core radiator, dex-cool coolant, redline water wetter.

 

If you go under your car, laying with your head sort of under the starter, over by the exhaust manifold collector, you can find it. It is in the passenger side cyl head in between #6 and #8 spark plugs. It is just a one wire connector going to it (a green wire I think). If you ground that wire, the fan will turn on.

 

I plan on buying some LEDs and a voltage regulator to permanently wire in a switch for the number 1 and 2 fans. I took off the car bra and fixed a minor vaccuum leak and took it for a test drive. It ran a little cooler but once I got in some stop and go traffic, it went up to 220 and didnt come back down real quick.

Oh ya, I do have the air-dam installed.