Is 220 degrees ok?

[diesel4me]

I use 195 thermostats only!

I've always used the 195 degree thermostats--my experience has been if it overheats with a (good) 195 thermostat,it will overheat with a 160 degree one too--it might take longer,but it will still overheat---and most of the time its not even the thermostat at fault!...A lot of GM techs have told me "unless it peukes out the overflow,its NOT overheating!"--I guess they have seen their share of innaccurate stock temparature gauges...

I like the 195 degree thermostats for several reasons:
1.Thats what GM wants there!
2.Good heat and defrost in the winter!(a must have here!)
3.Better gas mileage!(cold motors suck fuel like crazy)
4.Longer engine life--cold motors also get gas washed,and the oil stays cleaner if it gets hot enough to burn off any condensation..
5.Warms up faster to operating temparature.

I had overheating problems with my 74 K20 when I tried driving it with the plow on it--I could go only 3 miles before it started overflowing--I suspected a bad thermostat,because I had poor heat too--when I went to put one in,I was suprised to see there was NO thermostat in it at all!. I installed a 195 degree one,and tried again--now I could go 8 miles before having to pull over and let it cool off--
Then one of the GM techs told me to "lock" the clutch fan in the "on" position by lifting the snail shaped spring out of its holder and turn it 180 degrees and re-attach it to the holder---I did what he said,and it sounded like a hoover vacuum cleaner on steroids,and I could feel the power loss,but now I can drive it all day at 65 mph with no trouble at all with the plow on it--I have a 3 inch body lift on it,so the hacked fan shroud and the plow blocking the grille probably had a lot to do with it--but it effectively cured my overheating problem....

 

[Jonny-K5]

good points. i know i've read articles about dyno'ing motors at different temps, and they found power increased as temps rised... up to the magic number of 180.. above that it slightly tapered off.it was probly only a few HP, but 180 was peak. i believe the test was to disprove the myth that a motor will make more power with a 160 stat.

i agree with all those cold engine points that were made, but i dont think a motor running at 180 would be considered cold.

anyhow, i think we all basically agree, just with different preferences on whats more ideal,180 or 195.

 

[dirtwarrior17]

that dyno test is true because a motor makes peak hp at 180 degrees but that's the block temp not the coolant temp. the actual temp of the block is always more than the thermostat because the coolant is always circulating.... thats y most 165 stats say they make more power... when a motor runs at 165 degrees or little higher it gets the block temp real close to that 180 majic number. Most stats open up at 5-10 hotter than they are rated to. If you have problems with it runnin 220 with a 195 stat then u either should get her flushed or put a colder stat in. Also might want to try some of that b cool stuff... supposed to drop temp up to 40 degrees. radiator has to be clean tho.

 

[6.2Blazer]

that dyno test is true because a motor makes peak hp at 180 degrees but that's the block temp not the coolant temp. the actual temp of the block is always more than the thermostat because the coolant is always circulating.... thats y most 165 stats say they make more power... when a motor runs at 165 degrees or little higher it gets the block temp real close to that 180 majic number. Most stats open up at 5-10 hotter than they are rated to. If you have problems with it runnin 220 with a 195 stat then u either should get her flushed or put a colder stat in. Also might want to try some of that b cool stuff... supposed to drop temp up to 40 degrees. radiator has to be clean tho.

180 degrees might have been the "magic number" for the one particuliar motor shown in the test, but I very much doubt there is one particuliar "magic" temperature that is the same for every engine in existence.

 

[dirtwarrior17]

actually 180 is THE majic number. hp is made at peak right around 180 on any motor. they did more than 1 motor and almost all the thermostat companies dyno test motors so they can advertise more hp in their adds.


ask anybody who has put a couple hundred small blocks together... they'll tell 180 is the majic number.