How hard to change 160 ' T-stat? Looking f/advice

**5abivt** · 07-31-2009, 07:37 PM

Looking tpo change it right outside work after I'm done. Didnt have time this morning as some of you know I got pwned by the panhard install. So I have a 10mm and all the tools for the coolant hose etc... is it as easy as it looks? 2 bolts and it pops out? the new stat has the housing and a rubber o ring should there be any sealant etc?

Also I have an 8L jug of distilled water that I will be topping up with. any thoughts on that? I'm not even sure whats in it (199k km on the car) dex or green so i figured just water for now.

**rbob93** · 07-31-2009, 09:20 PM

No sealant, just wipe it dry & use some silicone grease on the o-ring to hold it in the groove.....Hose removal not necessary.

**nillam1** · 07-31-2009, 11:25 PM

Go here! http://www.installuniversity.com/ins...sity/index.htm Go to install documents then scroll down to 160 deg t-stat.

**pajeff02** · 08-01-2009, 03:27 AM

Just be careful and watch your temp gauge after you change it out as the system can air lock. Refill the system over a period of time and rock the car on its suspension a bit to help work the air out. After start up you can also feel your hoses -- if the driver side radiator hose stays cold for very long once the heater hoses get hot, you may be air locked.

**5abivt** · 08-01-2009, 02:19 PM

Thanks guys ! I did it right after work took me about 20 mins to finish. I ended up removing the hose because the new t-stat came with its own housing. I didn't even think to just pull the stat out and switch them. I left the rad cap off and filled it up with water while it was running and squeezed the crap out of the hoses as it warmed up and then some when it was hot and the stat was open. Runs phenomenal and temp stays much cooler obviously more so in the highway which was my main goal. No codes etc if anyone was wondering.

**blue02Z** · 08-01-2009, 02:22 PM

did you get your fans tuned to come on now at the new temp?

**masterZ28** · 08-01-2009, 06:37 PM

It is an easy install

**5abivt** · 08-02-2009, 01:46 AM

No Tune. i dont want to waste the money. On hot days the fans will only run all the time in city driving trying to keep temps cooler which i dont care for. Anytime Im rolling over 60 there's more than enough airflow to stay cooler which is what I want

**0rion** · 08-02-2009, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by 5abivt

No Tune. i dont want to waste the money. On hot days the fans will only run all the time in city driving trying to keep temps cooler which i dont care for. Anytime Im rolling over 60 there's more than enough airflow to stay cooler which is what I want

the 160 stat without changing the fan settings is the waste of money. The stat will open at 160 but your fans is what dictates your running temp and they will keep the car at stock temp unless you're up to speed which negates the reason of having the cooler stat.

**5abivt** · 08-03-2009, 08:40 PM

Sorry but it is not a waste of money. My car runs 15-20 degrees cooler almost everywhere except when theres lots of low speed idleing and sitting in traffic. In that situation i don't car if it runs hot because I'm not driving it hard anyways. Even cruising down a 60 km/hr road the car stays cooler. On the highway it's cooler. My fans don't even run when i shut the car down anymore. Which it did EVERY time I shut the car off in this weather with the stock stat.
very very happy with this mod

**Hi-Po** · 08-04-2009, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by 5abivt

Sorry but it is not a waste of money. My car runs 15-20 degrees cooler almost everywhere except when theres lots of low speed idleing and sitting in traffic. In that situation i don't car if it runs hot because I'm not driving it hard anyways. Even cruising down a 60 km/hr road the car stays cooler. On the highway it's cooler. My fans don't even run when i shut the car down anymore. Which it did EVERY time I shut the car off in this weather with the stock stat.
very very happy with this mod

You have HPT to verfiy 15 degrees difference on that dummy guage you have in your cluster? Obviously not because you would have changed your fan settings

You need the fans to be changed with a different thermostat.

**pajeff02** · 08-04-2009, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Hi-Po

You have HPT to verfiy 15 degrees difference on that dummy guage you have in your cluster? Obviously not because you would have changed your fan settings

You need the fans to be changed with a different thermostat.

+1 My temp gauge reads 200-205 irrespective of the fact that the actual engine temp may be as low as 185, or as high as 225, as read by a scanner. The factory temp gauges are an approximation, except for '98 (I believe) when they actually had a working gauge. I installed a 180 degree stat and reprogrammed my fans accordingly.

**masterZ28** · 08-04-2009, 10:30 AM

I admit the gauges suck, but i have the 160 and a switch for the fans and they stay between the 100 and 210 mark, just above the middle marker. So thats whta i think 5abiv is referring to or going by.

**Customta98** · 08-04-2009, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

+1 My temp gauge reads 200-205 irrespective of the fact that the actual engine temp may be as low as 185, or as high as 225, as read by a scanner. The factory temp gauges are an approximation, except for '98 (I believe) when they actually had a working gauge. I installed a 180 degree stat and reprogrammed my fans accordingly.

well that makes me glad I have the 98 T/A. I have the 160 in my water pump and it seems to be working good but when I was at op temps today (first day out in almost a year, because of my engine going out and the rebuild) my temp read at about 180F-210F (no faster than 50 mph) But reading this reminds me to retune some things thanx for the reminder guys!

**5abivt** · 08-05-2009, 09:39 AM

The guages may be innacurate but it's no myth that the fans can not pull early as much air as driving down the road can. I don't need my car cooler in traffic or below 40 mph. Why have the fans on struggling to keep the car cooler taxing my alternator which in turn is applying more load and eating some hp?
I'm more than happy knowing my car is running cooler on the freeway or at average speeds. If anyone has their fans programmed lower they're not even functioning at these speeds anyways.

I may not have an accurate guage but explain how for the last 3 months every time I shut the car down the fan(s) are still running pulling hot air from the rad. After the 160 stat I drive like schuey some days into work and when I shut her off theres no fans on at all. My temp guage doesn't even get over the 100 mark anytime I'm moving.

I went through all this with my 388 in my lt4 tuning the gen 7. The stock fans and rad and cooling system are designed for a certain efficiency range.

**blue02Z** · 08-05-2009, 09:42 AM

yeah, not tuning your fans accordingly will waste money when doing the 160* tstat. also just cuz you're not "running" it hard doesnt mean that its okay for it to overheat

**5abivt** · 08-05-2009, 10:34 AM

lol i give up. believe what you want.

If it makes you feel better to turn your fans on sooner all the power to you.

**0rion** · 08-05-2009, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by 5abivt

lol i give up. believe what you want.

If it makes you feel better to turn your fans on sooner all the power to you.

I gave up several posts ago......let me ask you this. What advantages are there to running a car cooler at cruising speeds?

**5abivt** · 08-05-2009, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by blue02Z

yeah, not tuning your fans accordingly will waste money when doing the 160* tstat. also just cuz you're not "running" it hard doesnt mean that its okay for it to overheat

I don't quite get where you pulled that from but I just had to respond 1 last time.

Ok. You have 2 cars. One with a 160 stat and 1 with a 180 stat. Both cars are sitting on a driveway idleing. The thermostat on the 160 will open sooner and perhaps take 20 seconds longer to hit 200 degrees. BOTH cars will have their fans turn on at their specified temperature settings. I don't know what the stock setting is but say they both have their fans go on at 220 degrees. Both will get cooled to 210 and fans turn off. Both run at the same temperature sitting still because the fans are set to the same temp right?

Ok so now we have a 160 stat car with stock fans and a 160 stat with tuned fan settings (for example say 200 degrees). Both cars warm up to 200 degrees at the same time and the stock fan setting car (like mine) will hit 220 and the fans will go on. the tuned cars fans will go on at 200 and bring the temperature down to 200 and turn off. Yes the tuned car with lower tuned fan settings will run cooler. BUT BOTH CARS RE STANDING STILL.

Both cars going down the road at 45 mph produce more cfm through the radiator than the fans do therefore keeping the temps lower than where the fans settings are regardless if it is 190, 200 or 220. So both cars run at a cooler temp than a stock 180 degree t stat.

Running on the highway .. guess what.. Produces WAY more air than a stock fan therefore the fans will never come on REGARDLESS of the fan settings. SO, my non fan tuned car will run as cool as the fan tuned car because the air is doing all the cooling.

Understand now? i don't care if my car runs hotter when it's sitting still because quite frankly I don't race sitting still.

Turning the fans on sooner is great for guys who autocross. I couldn't reccomend it more for them. they usually don't hit high enough speeds for the air to do the cooling and therefore lowering when the fans come on can help.

**5abivt** · 08-05-2009, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by 0rion

I gave up several posts ago......let me ask you this. What advantages are there to running a car cooler at cruising speeds?

Are you serious? Do you guys race on your driveways or something !! I like to do roll ons and drive very fast on the local freeways. lower coolant temps (cooler combustion temps) = lower IAT and allows the stock ecm to increase timing= more power.