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Crankster · 11-23-2017, 01:37 AM

160° Thermostats are a legacy of alcohol based antifreeze, and wouldn't prevent overheating in any case. Thermostat sets the floor, not the ceiling, of engine temperature, it will open and close as required to maintain the minimum temperature it is rated for, within a certain tolerance. But if there's a problem in the radiator, or inside the engine cooling jackets, it will still overheat. 200° to 210° is right in there where you want to be, engine wear is next to nothing, contaminates are boiled off in the oil, fuel efficiency is better - and the heater works too. Research by GM or somebody in the 50s found that engine wear is cut in half by using a 180° vs. 160° thermostat.

11-23-2017, 01:37 AM	#16
Crankster Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 563	Re: 54 runs hot at low RPM or sitting still 160° Thermostats are a legacy of alcohol based antifreeze, and wouldn't prevent overheating in any case. Thermostat sets the floor, not the ceiling, of engine temperature, it will open and close as required to maintain the minimum temperature it is rated for, within a certain tolerance. But if there's a problem in the radiator, or inside the engine cooling jackets, it will still overheat. 200° to 210° is right in there where you want to be, engine wear is next to nothing, contaminates are boiled off in the oil, fuel efficiency is better - and the heater works too. Research by GM or somebody in the 50s found that engine wear is cut in half by using a 180° vs. 160° thermostat.