I have a small block chevy engine in my 1983 El Camino, no more emissions, only emmisions thing on there is a PCV, because there is no emission stuff does it matter what thermostat I use. I removed my heater core so I could get better acces to my spark plugs and header bolts, so I capped off the water pump and intake, but I drilled a hole in my 195 thermostat, the car still ran about 200 degrees, I have an Edelbrock water pump, so I got another 195 thermostat and drilled 3 1/8th holes, it takes a while to come up to temp and the car runs at about 175 degrees, I can tell by shooting the infrared gun at the thermostat, is this too cool, should I get another 195 thermostat and only drill 2 1/8th holes. I do not know if it would be a good idea to run a hose between my water pump and intake , but I have read that if you have the holes drilled in the thermostat this acts as a bypass. Right now the oil temp is at about 200 degrees whereas before it was at 220 degrees. There is no computer on this car, just a non emissions carburetor and distributor, or I could run a 180 thermostat and only drill 1 hole, it just seemed that with the high flow water pump and 1 hole drilled that the thermostat was a restriction, my thinking was since the bypass was plugged this overloaded the thermostat, I know that new cars with computers on them need a higher temperature, am I ruining my gas mileage with it running a little cooler. I am open to suggestions.
Thermostat Issue With Non-Emmision Chevtolet
- Thread starter c3po
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Put a 180° thermostat in without a hole drilled in it and see where you're at with that.
There is nothing wrong with heat.
A cooler running engine is not as efficient for cruising. Heat of combustion will constantly try to heat the surrounding head and cylinder walls up to temperature - to reach homostasis. If the head and walls are warmer, less is lost to trying to heat them, and that energy is used to propel the car.
Ford has an electric thermostat that is about 225 F [pretty hot!] cruising, and opens up when you step on it.
In cooler months, a normal 195 thermostat will attenuate condensation and blowby.
Remember, when you need it, the thermostat will open anyway - open is open.
A cooler running engine is not as efficient for cruising. Heat of combustion will constantly try to heat the surrounding head and cylinder walls up to temperature - to reach homostasis. If the head and walls are warmer, less is lost to trying to heat them, and that energy is used to propel the car.
Ford has an electric thermostat that is about 225 F [pretty hot!] cruising, and opens up when you step on it.
In cooler months, a normal 195 thermostat will attenuate condensation and blowby.
Remember, when you need it, the thermostat will open anyway - open is open.
One little hole should be all you need. Sometimes you get an air pocket or lack of water flow over the thermostat pellet so it can't react or is in fact overreacting by slamming open.
Also where is your temp gauge sensor? If it is far from the thermostat it can vary, depending on how much heat is put into the water as it continues its travels through the engine. This is sort of proved by your IR gun pointed at the t-stat housing.
I 2nd the 180' idea, with max 1 tiny hole.
Also where is your temp gauge sensor? If it is far from the thermostat it can vary, depending on how much heat is put into the water as it continues its travels through the engine. This is sort of proved by your IR gun pointed at the t-stat housing.
I 2nd the 180' idea, with max 1 tiny hole.
I got a 180 thermostat and I am going to drill 1 small hole, the 3 small holes on the 195 were too much, the temp at the thermostat housing was 165 today, my temp sensor is in the driver's side cylinder head, so I can see how it can vary. The reason I did the hole when I plugged up the heater core was because the thermostat was jumping up and down, obviously there was some air pocket. I will do the 1 hole now and report back tonite, thanks guys.
Quick update, put 180 stat in an drove only 3 miles and temp at thermostat housing was 175 degrees, it took almost 30 miles yesterday to get up to that temp, of course it was at night, I am going out soon so I will report back tonite, remember if you are going to drill a 1/8th hole in your thermostat only drill 1 hole, it does get rid of any air bubbles.
I have a 180 stat with a single tiny hole drilled and installed at the 12 o'clock position in my 1999 Buick LeSabre to help with both air in the system and to try to preserve the nylon gaskets GM has found out do not work well with Dex-Cool (flushed out in this car).
Fuel mileage and driveability are unchanged from the 195 stat.
Fuel mileage and driveability are unchanged from the 195 stat.
Cooler is not better, unless your are overheating.
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Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Cooler is not better, unless your are overheating.
I remember being in my machine shop killing time and got to looking at a bunch of blocks on the junk pile. I noticed that it seemed the cylinders that were directly behind the water pump, and consequently ran coolest, seemed to have greater wear. I ran this by an old timer who confirmed my observation. The cooler the cylinder, the more it wears. There are limits to this of course.
Cooler is not better, unless your are overheating.
I remember being in my machine shop killing time and got to looking at a bunch of blocks on the junk pile. I noticed that it seemed the cylinders that were directly behind the water pump, and consequently ran coolest, seemed to have greater wear. I ran this by an old timer who confirmed my observation. The cooler the cylinder, the more it wears. There are limits to this of course.
When I left work tonite the car was up to temp within 3 miles, when I got home I shot the infrared gun at the thermostat housing and it was 180 degrees and I took aim at the middle of the oil pan and it was 205 degrees. I did notice that the car seems to run a little smoother with the 180 stat versus the 195. I have also heard that if your coolant temp is too hot you can damage the head gaskets, this may or may not be true.
That sounds really pretty good. I'd be interested in if you ran it really hard/more sustained if the oil got hotter. It might be a good idea to get it to 212'F once in a while; yes moisture leaves at lower temps but it really gets a move on at 212.
It was 55 degrees tonite, but I do think there are times when the oil gets a little hotter, probably when I am sitting in traffic for a few minutes, I do not have a mechanical fan or electric fan and I will give you my reasons. There is no A/C condenser, also I had problems years ago in the winter time on cold mornings when it was damp or raining out, that mechanical fan sucking in that moist air would cause the car to stall, then I went to an electric fan but the adapter for the battery would keep going bad because it was made of brass and a few times it was hard to start because the brass adapter kept coming loose, also with the electric fan it hardly ever came on. I have another car that I drive if I am going anywhere that I will be sitting in traffic a long time. When I have taken the temp with the gun during the day it has been at 225. My oil pan has a trap door, slosh baffle, crankshaft scraper, and an oil pump baffle which keeps oil from climbing up into the back of the crankshaft, so I do not know if these thing have an effect on the oil temperature. I have read that a mechanical fan can wear out your water pump bearings. If I sit in traffic for a few minutes the water temp can go up to 200 degrees and then it comes down once I am moving. This engine has also been Auto-Rxed so if oil is getting to every part of the engine it may be running a little cooler as far as oil temps go, but I will keep an eye on things.
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