thermostat question??????????

[THOR]

I've been noticing different posts about 160 and 180 degree thermostats. What's wrong with the factory one? Aren't these engines designed to run with the factory stat or am I misssing something here. I do notice that the transmission area by my right leg feels warm in my 07 vert. Is this normal? Will a lower stat solve this? Thanks for your opinions in advance.

 

[Pres712]

160 = 172

As soon as I moved to Florida from Ohio the first thing I did to my '86 was replace the thermostat with a 160. The only reason GM puts in a 195 is to heat up the engine quicker to fire off the cats. I do not like the small difference between 195 and 235 (danger zone). I would rather have that larger difference of 160 to 235. For some reason the 160 in my '86 is a true 160 (according to the guage) but when I replaced the 195 in my '03 with a 160 it reads 172 on the digital read out. Either way I gained peace of mind and that is one less thing to worry about. Plus it is about the easiest item on a Vette to replace! Some people say you should reprogram the fans but I never did. Good luck! :thumbsup:

 

[ynkedad]

Thanks for the Info Pres.:thumbsup:

 

[zzzona]

I don't believe the car will run much cooler with a 160 degree t/stat unless you reprogram the fans.It will just take a little longer to get up to operating temp. and may run cooler on the open highway...JMO.. I have heard other C6 owners comment about the heat you are talking about so I would assume that is normal

 

[ynkedad]

Mark,

I have an '05, A4, C6, and my leg gets really warm up against the center counsel.
I always thought the heat was generated from the exhaust system.? At least, that's what I remember reading on the "CF".:shrug01:

 

[ynkedad]

Mark,

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's a few quotes from the "CF" regarding the Tunnel Heat...

I installed an Elite ABS tunnel plate. The plate is 1/4" thick aluminum with ceramic coating and a thermal barrier added. It virtually eliminated the heat from my center console. Was definitely worth the money - about a $150 - which is loose change on these cars.
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Location: Hope, Arkansas - '07 LMB Coupe

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I put in the Thermal ABS of Aluminum tunnel plate from Elite Engineering and it helped to reduce the console heat. It didn't completely get rid of all the heat in the console as it still has some warmth, but it reduced it to the point where it was livable.


Location: Deerfield Beach Florida

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We have had great success at reducing the tunnel heat AND stiffening the chassis with our "new" Thermal Abs.

This is our standard 1/4" aluminum Tunnel Plate with a special Thermal Overlay to reduce the amount of heat transfer into the console area.

It really does the trick
Attached Thumbnails

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Elite Engineering

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i PUT 2 stock tunnel plates on,1 sprayed with 1200 degree paint.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by water boy
400 HP will have its trade offs.

WB

Yes, there is a lot of waste heat from a big motor. The reports of heat over in the z06 section are even worse like melted carpet!

IMO it's not a trade off due to engine size it's all about GM saving money and know that loyal vette buyers will put up with the result. The factory could have specified a thicker plate like Elite's . The incremental cost would have been relatively small I think. Same labor to make it, handle it, transport it, and install it. Just more for the cost of materials.

But they chose to use a thin cheap cover material. I doubt it's a design defect rather a clear in your face example of the result of saving money at the expense of the buyer.

just my opinion
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What I can suggest regarding this problem is get a tunnel heat shield, which will cover the tunnel.

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Mid America Motorworks - Original engine in Chevrolet Corvette Parts and Accessories by Mid
America Motorworks

 

[thebeepster]

Mark:

I think the tunnel heat is normal, although I don't notice it my C6 as much as I did it my C5. This is fixed by the tunnel plate or other insulators as described above.

I love my 160 deg. stat and now find my cruising temps are 178-180 as opposed to 198-200 before. The temps at idle or in traffic will remain the same until the fan settings are adjusted. The engines are designed to run at the higher temps to help burn hydrocarbons from the gas to help with EPA compliance. I just feel the temps made possible by the 160 stat are better in FL where we have much hotter weather...just don't need the additional heat.

Ted

 

[FRC Tom]

I perfer the 180 stat and like to keep the ect at 185.
The C5 fan controls can be set to come on at any temp but the C6 fans work on percentage sstarting at 192 degrees.

C5 fans

C6 fans

 

[davekp]

I just went through the whole thermostat thing in my C-6. I guarantee you that a 180 stat will not let you run at 189 at cruise conditions. I was able to get 189-190 with a Vinci 170 stat. A 160 stat allows 181 cruise temps.

 

[Pres712]

A/C?

Dave: Are you running your A/C? I guarantee that my '86 will run all day, on the road, at 160 and my '03 will run at 172. BUT, turn on the A/C and the '86 will shoot up to 186 and the '03 will go to 185. These are readings off the digital dash. The '86 does not have an "auto" setting and I never use that setting on my '03, so these are manual settings.

 

[thebeepster]

Dave: Are you running your A/C? I guarantee that my '86 will run all day, on the road, at 160 and my '03 will run at 172. BUT, turn on the A/C and the '86 will shoot up to 186 and the '03 will go to 185. These are readings off the digital dash. The '86 does not have an "auto" setting and I never use that setting on my '03, so these are manual settings.

Most unusual temps for a C5. My '04 C5 always cruised at 195-200 w/ or w/o the A/C...didn't seem to make any difference. Temps soared to 225+ in heavy traffic. When I got the C6 last Sept it behaved much the same till I installed the 160 deg thermostat. While the higher temps may not affect operating efficiency, it just makes me feel better knowing that there are cooler temps under the hood:yesnod:

 

[davekp]

Dave: Are you running your A/C? I guarantee that my '86 will run all day, on the road, at 160 and my '03 will run at 172. BUT, turn on the A/C and the '86 will shoot up to 186 and the '03 will go to 185. These are readings off the digital dash. The '86 does not have an "auto" setting and I never use that setting on my '03, so these are manual settings.

My numbers are for A/C off.
Your '86 is a different situation, since the thermostat is located in the convential position- not in the engine water inlet side as in the C-5 and C-6.
Yes, your '03 will run at 172 but ONLY WITH A 160 STAT. A 180 stat will not run at 172 in a C-5.
Let's remember the original issue was a 180 stat in a C-6.
As I said, a 180 stat in a C-6 will not give you 180 running temperature. A 160 stat will give approx 180 running temp at normal cruise, A/C off.
A Vinci 170 stat will give you approx 190.

 

[davekp]

Most unusual temps for a C5. My '04 C5 always cruised at 195-200 w/ or w/o the A/C...didn't seem to make any difference. Temps soared to 225+ in heavy traffic. When I got the C6 last Sept it behaved much the same till I installed the 160 deg thermostat. While the higher temps may not affect operating efficiency, it just makes me feel better knowing that there are cooler temps under the hood:yesnod:

Mt experience agrees with yours. I ran about 196 at cruise with the OEM stat in my '07. As you say, your '04 was about the same- it had the C-6 style stat.

 

[Rich Z]

I guess thermostats must have changed substantially from my younger years. Back then, the only thing the temperature rating meant on a thermostat was the temperature at which the thermostat would OPEN. Everything else was exactly the same on those thermostats. They didn't allow MORE coolant to pass while opened, and didn't change the running temperatures at all. A 180 degree thermostat would open at 180 degrees. A 160 degree thermostat would open at 160 degrees. Once the coolant reached full operating temperature, it didn't matter what sort of thermostat is in place. :shrug01: :shrug01:

 

[THOR]

So then the general concern is too much heat under the hood and because Florida is hot and humid anyway, a 160 thermostat will prolong engine life and parts. Is this the general consensus or is there more to it?:shrug01:

 

[davekp]

So then the general concern is too much heat under the hood and because Florida is hot and humid anyway, a 160 thermostat will prolong engine life and parts. Is this the general consensus or is there more to it?:shrug01:

There is more to it.
High coolant temp is one of the parameters that causes the ECM to retard timing, thus affecting performance

 

[thebeepster]

There is more to it.
High coolant temp is one of the parameters that causes the ECM to retard timing, thus affecting performance

:yesnod: Agreed...Maybe its my imagination, but I can tell a performance difference @180 vs 210-215.

 

[FRC Tom]

:yesnod: Agreed...Maybe its my imagination, but I can tell a performance difference @180 vs 210-215.

Not your imagination, the pcm pulls 3 degrees of timing when the ect hits 212 degrees and 6 degrees at 230 on C6s.
One of many things that can be programmed out.

 

[THOR]

So performance is improved with a lower thermstat. Will this only work if the fans are readjusted? Are there specific name brand thermostats that work best or doed it even matter? Mark

 

[davekp]

So performance is improved with a lower thermstat. Will this only work if the fans are readjusted? Are there specific name brand thermostats that work best or doed it even matter? Mark

Performance is maintained if the coolant temperature (and inlet air temperature) stays low enough such that the ECU doesn't pull timing. A lower thermostat helps and may be enough if you don't sit idling for long periods. If you do, such as in the staging lanes at the drags, reprogramming the fan temps will help.
All the C-6 160 aftermarket stats I've seen are manufactured by AutoRad, and sold be several vendors. Quality control is lousy. I had a so-called 160 that ran at 189. My current 160 runs at 181 at cruise. Same brand.