Hey Mike,

I will be purchasing my chip after the first of the year, and I was wondering if I put a Hypertech thermostat in (170) will this help the chip or does it mess up the program.....and can the chip be made with the 170 degree stat in the program....just curious if it is a gain or not....and what will happen if you run regular gas in stead of premium with a chip?......Thanks again Mike for all your knowledge....


5.4

 

Hi 5.4 Lariat,

Your enigne will make it's best power at a coolant temperature of 190-200 degrees, which is why your factory thermostat is 190-194 degrees in the F-150, Expedition, etc. For daily driven vehicles, you're best bet is to leave the thermostat alone, as that is what will get you your best power, mileage, etc. in a daily driver.

If you change your thermostat to a 170 degree unit, you'll compromise heater function in winter, and the engine as well as your oil will take longer to warm up all the time, resulting in less power & mileage and increased emissions during that warm-up time. It's not a lot, don't get me wrong, but overall, we just don't recommend going with anything less than 180 degree thermostat in non-Lightning F-150's, if you do change it. We'd recommend staying with your factory unit, replacing it won't get you any more power on the street.

You can run a 170 thermostat with the Superchip, the F-150 doesn't have an electric coolign fan so there are no turn-on temps to be adjusted, but I wouldn't. In our 2001 5.4 F-150 4X4 ORP we run the factory thermostat with the Superchip, and that is what we recommend you do as well.

 

Thanks Mike,


Does anybody know of a GOOD thermostat for the electric fans......I had bought one for my Bronco II (electric fan and stat) from JC Whitney, and It was horrible and seemed to be very inaccurate...Thanks again


5.4

 

Hi 5.4,

Using J.C. Whitney for anything like that is a mistake to begin with, they have never had any tradition of carrying quality parts in the 40+ years I've been reading their catalogs under their different reorganizations, etc. While I loved reading their catalogs as a kid, they have traditionally been the mail-order place to get wierd & cheap gadgets & gizmos, or oddball parts for some older vehicles, with the emphasis being on CHEAP first, last and foremost.

You can get a "thermostat" anywhere, but I don't think that's what you're really looking for, it sounds like you're looking for a thermoststic control, which is something completely different.

Give us a call if you have any questions on this, etc. we'll go over this with you & help you determine just what you actually need, if you like.