Turbo Temps

[groper]

With a 'cool' thermostat, you will have more heatsink capacity, I.e. the difference between the operating temperature and when the engine will overheat, simply because there is a bigger differential temperature between operating and maximum temp.

In an ideal world, the cooling capacity of the cooling system should be able to keep the engine temperature under control, but our cars produce more heat than the cooling system is capable of dissipating, and thus the engine temp. increases when driven hard, and this will make the engine less efficient (if it gets too hot).

Hope this explains it!

your first paragraph only holds true if driven very lightly in cold climates, due in part, to your reasoning in the second paragraph. so, in the real world, your car wont stay at the lower temp of the cooler thermostat under hotter driving conditions of higher load and/or ambient temperature.

the point im trying to make is this, A cooler thermostat wont help keep your car running cooler when you want it most IE hard driving or more rwkw or hot days.

if this is your goal, BUY A BIGGER RADIATOR...

Edited 02/04/07 10:49 AM by groper

[Ninka]

your first paragraph only holds true if driven very lightly in cold climates, due in part, to your reasoning in the second paragraph. so, in the real world, your car wont stay at the lower temp of the cooler thermostat under hotter driving conditions of higher load and/or ambient temperature.

the point im trying to make is this, A cooler thermostat wont help keep your car running cooler when you want it most IE hard driving or more rwkw or hot days.

if this is your goal, BUY A BIGGER RADIATOR...

You are right if you are talking sustained hard driving

However if you are talking about a bit of hard driving, followed by some slower cruising, then the cooler thermostat helps, even on hot days, as it allows the engine to drop back to the cooler starting point, and thus building up the ability to heatsink next time you floor it.

For track days or other SUSTAINED hard driving conditions, only a larger radiator (or oil cooler) helps

[RHR]

"This thermostat will give you optimum peak horsepower and torque by optimizing factory PCM spark and fuel maps before the engine is heat soaked."

Owe this is now on the to do list

[JimmyXR6T04]

on 30-35deg days, and with the odd squirt my temp gauge will still sit around a 1/4.. perhaps a tad over. Rarely does it creep too close to the middle like it used to. In fact, prior to edit and cooler thermostat, my car would often sit right under half, and when turning it off it would go well over, then have to cool down again. I've only seen that happen once since fitting the cooler thermostat, and it was only marginally over. It must help some what

[dingah2]

Jimmy:

hmmm....so is that a good thing...is it running at optimum temp?....mine has never, despite all the mod states it has been through and now at Cobra 2 been other than a tad short of the 12 o'clock position and whenleft to soak after a run and re-starting - alittle over and then pulls back to that figure. Colder weather in Canberra autumn and winter would see it witha small increment short of 12 o'clock position. That was also consistent across two diffrent radiators. As I think Ninka or Tab stated, assuming hte thermostat to be either open or closed and not able to progressively reach an intermediate position, once the thermo is open, your running temp is a function of the capacity of your radiator to exchange or dispense heat.

Dingah

[GOLDIE]

It will all depend on the brand of thermastate you buy because there is cooler ones but there is also cooler high flow ones it is these ones you need.

This is what I have 35 degree day on highway travel the temp sits one needle width above 1/4.

Hard driving it will get to just under half.

Ian

[tab]

Sorry guys, you are both wrong

A thermostat is a thermo-activated valve, which remains closed until a certain temperature is achieved, so whether you run a 'cool' or a 'warm' thermostat, has absolutely no influence on how quickly the engine or turbo warms up.

Once the temperature is reached, the thermostat opens, and the water circulates through the radiator to keep the engine cooled. With a 'cool' thermostat, you will have more heatsink capacity, I.e. the difference between the operating temperature and when the engine will overheat, simply because there is a bigger differential temperature between operating and maximum temp.

In an ideal world, the cooling capacity of the cooling system should be able to keep the engine temperature under control, but our cars produce more heat than the cooling system is capable of dissipating, and thus the engine temp. increases when driven hard, and this will make the engine less efficient (if it gets too hot).

Hope this explains it!

I get all that, but....

The cooler thermostat would help your auto get up to temp sooner as well wouldn't it? (via the heat exchanger in the radiator)

I was referring to the flow of warm water through the radiator at an earlier stage - wouldn't this be better for your auto?

[JimmyXR6T04]

Jimmy:

hmmm....so is that a good thing...is it running at optimum temp?....mine has never, despite all the mod states it has been through and now at Cobra 2 been other than a tad short of the 12 o'clock position and whenleft to soak after a run and re-starting - alittle over and then pulls back to that figure. Colder weather in Canberra autumn and winter would see it witha small increment short of 12 o'clock position. That was also consistent across two diffrent radiators. As I think Ninka or Tab stated, assuming hte thermostat to be either open or closed and not able to progressively reach an intermediate position, once the thermo is open, your running temp is a function of the capacity of your radiator to exchange or dispense heat.

Dingah

never really thought about "optimum" driving temps.. surely a tad over a quarter is warm enough? Mind you, giving it a squirt up the clyde mountain saw the temps rise closer to half, but still sit about half way between 1/4-1/2.

[groper]

on 30-35deg days, and with the odd squirt my temp gauge will still sit around a 1/4.. perhaps a tad over. Rarely does it creep too close to the middle like it used to. In fact, prior to edit and cooler thermostat, my car would often sit right under half, and when turning it off it would go well over, then have to cool down again. I've only seen that happen once since fitting the cooler thermostat, and it was only marginally over. It must help some what

that's because a thermostat has the power to INCREASE your running temp not DECREASE it... FFS how many times do I have to say it?

When your thermostat sh*ts itself what happens??? it blocks off the flow of water to your radiator and your temp guage goes off the chart! when the reverse is true, and its open fully, the temp you will run is the equilibrium reached between the heat generated by the engine and the heat dissipated buy the radiator, that's it, no more no less. and ninka, I dunno bout you, by even my NA car will activete thermofans when merely stuck in traffic or trying to find a park in shopping center etc... doesnt have to be SUSTAINED hard driving... and with a turbo its even worse! you wont run cooler unless its a cold night/day and light loads...

thermostats, no matter what type, arent designed nor are they intended, to help your car run cooler. theyre purpose is to help the car run hotter only when warming up - or in very cold conditions!

[JimmyXR6T04]

dude, I don't claim to know what's going on I'm confused. All I'm reporting is the experience I've got from my car. If it doesn't help make the car run cooler, then what does?? the tuning? until I installed the thermostat I had the thermo fans on 24/7 as soon as the car hit 1/4 on the temp gauge. Since the thermostat was installed I hardly ever hear the thermo fans come on. I'm just reporting what goes on with my car.. as I said, I really don't know the mechanicals of the situation.. but that's what's doing with my car, sorry