160 or 180 degree thermostats?

[Dirtslinger]

I’m sure this has been asked before but I saw a video from Shoebox central where he suggests 160 thermostats and to drill two 3/16 holes in the thermostat to help with cooling. I’m in southern CA so temps do hit triple digits in the summer time.

[rockfla]

Here is one from the past, if you do a search on the red tool bar on the upper right (search this forum) you will most likely find Oh....about 100 post on thermostats and every possible question related to them!!! 180's by the way, provided your cooling system is operating properly....you need enough heat in you engine to properly burn the fuel



https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...re+thermostats

[marko39]

Thermostats will regulate the min. temp your engine will run at not the max. In other words engine will not run cooler with 160 vs 180 when the stats are full open. With that in mind I prefer 180s as I am not in a warm climate zone and engine needs to run hotter than 160.

[blucar]

Old habits and the myth's that support them seem to have an after life that will not go away.
I took Auto Mechanic' during the four years I was in high school, I wanted to be a mechanic. After high school I went to work for Standard Oil in one of their service facilities. The four years of auto tech was not good enough for Standard Oil I had to go to one of their schools for six weeks before I could go to work in one of Standards facilities.
I can clearly recall the sessions on automotive cooling systems were it was stressed that the optimum operating temp for an engine was 180 degrees. One of the main reasons was to combat the formation of acids and condensation (sludge) within the engine.
The engines of vehicles of yesteryear, the 1930's/40's and 50's were all used up by the time they had 40/50 k on them.With better lubricants, higher operating temps,and better metals, engines now last in excess of 200k.

[51woodie]

When I got my ‘46 Coupe, 59AB engine, it had mismatched stats, a 160 and a 180. I installed 160’s, and the the engine ran 160. Switched to 180’s, and it runs 180, even in hot weather and slow traffic.

[JayChicago]

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Another possible reason 160 degree stats were the standard in the old days: alcohol was the common anti-freeze. Alcohol begins to boil away at 173 degrees. After "permanent" anti-freeze came on the market in the early fifties, higher temp thermostats became the standard, because its better for the engine.
Your engine will thank you for running 180 degree thermostats.

[Dirtslinger]

Looks like I need to order some 180's, I'l shelve the 160's, thanks again.

[Gene1949]

I've run 180s (Robert Shaw reverse poppet) forever. With a 3/32 hole I drilled. I've actually thought about 195s. Probably not a good idea for someone with a "conventional" fan/no shroud setup.
I have a Ford Taurus SVO electric fan and shroud with the the high/low switches in the bottom radiator tank so I could probably get away with the idea. The old girl gets driven less than 2000 mi a year. Quicker warm up and higher temp might be better. We've all seen what "cold" engine temps do to oil.
Been gonna start a thread considering that idea with the wiser heads here

[Dirtslinger]

Gene you mentioned the 3/32 hole that you drilled, is that common and should I also do that to mine? I also have a 49 Tudor.

[aussie merc]

the small hole will allow minimal coolant flow when below temp this allows for even warm up and stops air pockets forming under the temp valve some stats already have this in them 80C is the most common but there are engs out there that have 95C+ or higher [depends on the design] use what temp suits your conditions Just remember if Henry thought you didnt need it you didnt get it and every car that left the factory had thermostats !!!

[JayChicago]

Originally Posted by Gene1949

I've actually thought about 195s. Probably not a good idea for someone with a "conventional" fan/no shroud setup.

I think the opposite is true. Even a marginal cooling system can probably maintain 195F, while it might struggle to cool everything down to 180F.

But I'm not recommending 195 thermostats. No experience with that, not sure what other issues might appear. One thing that comes to mind: on hot days it will be that much warmer in the cabin.

[Gene1949]

Originally Posted by Dirtslinger

Gene you mentioned the 3/32 hole that you drilled, is that common and should I also do that to mine? I also have a 49 Tudor.

Absolutely. Much verbiage on this site of the benefits. I stumbled on it by accident 25 years ago when dealing with issues on my big block Camaro. Radiator builder that built stockcar radiators suggested it lessened the effects of traped air and percolation in the block. BB Camaros were notorious for overheat because of radiator size and small engine bay. Downside is warmup takes a little longer.