GEN 2 anyone running a 170 thermostat?

[setxathlete14]

on a tuned truck the 170 t stat is pretty much a must. i've seen several in the 220+ coolant temp range up top on a good higher octane tune.

 

[nikhsub1]

Not as important as a better intercooler.

 

[setxathlete14]

after a tune, 170 thermostat, and catch can are the first mods i would suggest. intercooler of course shortly after

 

[BIG TIME BALLER]

So one guy is saying the available 170 degree thermostats are too big (won’t fit in the housing without compressing the t-stat spring). Others are saying they have it... or “it’s a must”. Which is it? Are they available, and do they properly fit?

From previous vehicle experience, I can tell you that 170 is getting toward the low side of normal operating temps for at least two reasons.

1. The coolant has to have time to sit in the radiator in order to cool off. A t-stat that opens at a low temp ends up open all be time, and the coolant is just circulating through the system non-stop. This is probably why one guy says he has a 170 and the temps are about 180. I suspect as Summertime temps and road temps increase, so will his coolant temps. Longer drives will result in ever increasing temps.

2. The engine management system operates in different modes and fuel curves etc. at lower engine temps. It’s all programmed for optimal efficiency in a certain temp range. It will probably run richer at lower temps and of course the good part about more timing and boost, but also long term component concerns... particularly with the emissions system.

 

[setxathlete14]

So one guy is saying the available 170 degree thermostats are too big (won’t fit in the housing without compressing the t-stat spring). Others are saying they have it... or “it’s a must”. Which is it? Are they available, and do they properly fit?

From previous vehicle experience, I can tell you that 170 is getting toward the low side of normal operating temps for at least two reasons.

1. The coolant has to have time to sit in the radiator in order to cool off. A t-stat that opens at a low temp ends up open all be time, and the coolant is just circulating through the system non-stop. This is probably why one guy says he has a 170 and the temps are about 180. I suspect as Summertime temps and road temps increase, so will his coolant temps. Longer drives will result in ever increasing temps.

2. The engine management system operates in different modes and fuel curves etc. at lower engine temps. It’s all programmed for optimal efficiency in a certain temp range. It will probably run richer at lower temps and of course the good part about more timing and boost, but also long term component concerns... particularly with the emissions system.

with over 75 datalogs and probably 40 different tune revisions between different companies and myself. ive easily concluded this not based on speculation. i do not know about you but under no circumstances do i want my 60 thousand dollar truck to run anything higher than 200-210* MAXimum coolant temp in any mode or curve. even though mine never gets above 190* now its advertised as 170 but my truck stays around 180s-190s but my truck has only seen 93 octane or better tunes and more boost comes higher coolant temps

 

[nikhsub1]

1. The coolant has to have time to sit in the radiator in order to cool off.

This is incorrect.

 

[BIG TIME BALLER]

This is incorrect.

This is incorrect.

? Do you have an explanation for your doubt? Here is just a quick snippet from one of many sources regarding the subject.

“There is a mistaken belief by some people that if they remove the thermostat, they will be able to solve hard to find overheating problems. This couldn't be further from the truth. Removing the thermostat will allow uncontrolled circulation of the coolant throughout the system. The coolant will move so fast, that it will not be properly cooled as it races through the radiator, so the engine can run even hotter than before under certain conditions. Other times, the engine will never reach its operating temperature. On computer controlled vehicles, the computer monitors engine temperatures and regulates fuel usage based on that temperature. If the engine never reaches operating temperatures, fuel economy and performance will suffer considerably.”

The t-stat is constantly opening and closing to regulate the temp. It opens to let fluid that has reached the set temp flow into the radiator to be cooled off. The fluid from the radiator then flows into the engine... because it is now cooler than the t-stat open temp, the t-stat closes... thereby allowing the hot fluid to air in the radiator and cool.

It’s a stop and go flow, not constant. On my 19’ I can watch the temp change as the cool radiator fluid flows into the engine.

 

[nikhsub1]

Your source is wrong too. Thermostats aside, higher flow rates (all else being equal) will ALWAYS cool better than lower flow rates. Thinking the water “needs to spend more time in the radiator” is flat out wrong. I’ve studied and have been testing fluid thermal dynamics for over 20 years. Most people have this notion that water needs to spend more time in a radiator, ie going ‘slow’. Think about this - if that were the case, the other water is spending more time getting hot at the heat source.

No thermostat is bad as you stated but not for the reasons stated. You do need it to close or be closed until proper temps are reached, the rest is hogwash.


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[BIG TIME BALLER]

Your source is wrong too. Thermostats aside, higher flow rates (all else being equal) will ALWAYS cool better than lower flow rates. Thinking the water “needs to spend more time in the radiator” is flat out wrong. I’ve studied and have been testing fluid thermal dynamics for over 20 years. Most people have this notion that water needs to spend more time in a radiator, ie going ‘slow’. Think about this - if that were the case, the other water is spending more time getting hot at the heat source.

No thermostat is bad as you stated but not for the reasons stated. You do need it to close or be closed until proper temps are reached, the rest is hogwash.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Gotta be a dem... you're right and anybody else who thinks otherwise is wrong.

 

[smurfslayer]

Gotta be a dem... you're right and anybody else who thinks otherwise is wrong.

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