The problem is, according to the top SBF engine builders, you NEVER want your
car running at 160. If it is cool enough so the Tstat, radiator and outside
air temp are matched to run at 160 you could be subjecting your engine to more
wear. We have great motoring days in the Fall where this is an issue. SBF
engines like to run at 200 or more.
I used to have a 160 and switched to a 180. Wide open is wide open. I never
"observed" any difference in the top temp, just the speed in which it reached
it. Not really testing, because there was never a control or any attempt to
quantify anything or make ambient measurements, etc. Getting the engine up to
180 plus quickly is a good thing for the engine. If the water is greater than
180, it means that the balance of the cooling system cannot bring the
temperature down to the point where it exits tstat housing at 180, it has
nothing to do with the thermostat at that point unless there is a differnce in
flow restriction. For this point, I am assuming that both the 160 and the 180
have the same flow restriction at wide open.
It would be interesting to know what the exit temp is from the radiator to get
an idea of the rise in the engine, but that is a different issue.
Bob Melusky
While talking with an automotive tech the heating
question on the Tiger came up and we began discussing different possibilities.
Then he said something that I had not thought of before...this is my
understanding of what he said...the thermostat regulates the exchange of
coolant between the engine and radiator. The thermostat holds water in the
engine until it reaches temp then lets it through to the radiator where it's
cooled. After cooled the coolant enters the engine where the t-stat restricts
the flow until the full opening temp is reached. It releases more coolant and
the process starts over. So the lower the temp of the stat the better for warm
weather driving. A higher temp stat would keep the water in the engine longer
and therefore inhibit the ability of the cooling system. I had a 180 stat in
the Tiger removed it last night and put in a 160. The test drive this morning
seems to validate his theory. Drove the Tiger for half hour off the
freeway..gauge temp stayed under 200. On the freeway, at time reaching 80mph,
the temp went to 200 and not much more. Granted it was kind of a cool
morning, but normally the temp would have been much higher. More testing
today!
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