I have an autometer gauge and it dropped my temp by AT LEAST 15 degrees.My temp stays around the 160 (165) TOPS!! mark and it never even comes anywhere near 180 anymore and thats where it stayed before religiously.

 

Lightningquick,

Assuming you put in a 160 degree thermostat, then it opens around 160 degree (instead of 180 degree) and allows coolant to circulate through the radiator. As long as it is relatively cool outside, there is no question that your coolant temperature is lowered. The question you needs to ask is what the computer make of the 160 degree temperature.

From my experience with EEC-IV in Mustangs, keeping the temperature low with a 160 degree thermostat makes the computer think the engine is still running cold so it makes it run rich all the time. Don't know if this is still true for the Lightning, but sometimes hotter is better...

------------------
Francis
'00 Lightning, S/C 5.4
'93 Mustang GT, N/A 5.7
'00 T-Maxx, N/A 0.15

 

It could be a mistake but I always do a themostat when installing a chip.It always had good results in CHEVY'S

 

I would reccomend putting the stock 1 back in JL

------------------
93 cobra 10.90@127.00
99 lightning (black)
E.T. 12.06
best mph 112
60 ft. 1.65
(All Throttle No Bottle!)
JL ram air
JL Powercooler
2# pulley
Level 10 shift kit
Test Converter!
DiabloSport Dist.!
(KEEP IT BETWEEN THE LINES!)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
JohnnyLightning Performance
E-mail: jlightningracing@cs.com
JohnnyLightningWebpage
svtperformance.com
diablosport.com

 

Lightningquick,

I works fine. I've been running one for 9 months. It's seen winter and summer without a complaint. I use it to help fight off detonation and it seems to be working. I think it might help to keep the intercooler a little cooler. I read my plugs all the time and they burn great.

------------------
Later,
Chuck
Black 00
Chuck's Lightning Page

 

I don't know about the lightning but my 98 C5, with OBD II stayed in open loop until about 172deg. Since the L has a version of OBD II I would assume it would be close to that temp. As stated before the truck will run very rich, mileage ( what little there is) will go down the tubes and there's even a possibility of long term damage to the cats. It's been proven time and time again that an engine runs the best (HP wise) around 200 deg, plus or minus. The clearances are where they're supposed to be. The combustion process is at it's most efficient level. The HP gains result not from a cool engine but from a cool intake charge. Cold air has a higher molecular density than warm air and is capable of doing more work, ie: horse power. To make a long story short, with denser air you actually get more air per volume the motor ingests. With more air you can add more fuel.
With more air and fuel horse power increases.
As JL said..... Put the old one back in.



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2001L, red, born 2/6 and arrived 2/28!!!
JDM chip
12" Big Mouth filter
Wet Okoles
Bedrug
Pro-Sport Lid
Let the mods begin....


1969 Vette coupe, 496ci stroker big block, aluminum heads, 4340 crank & H-beam rods, JE 10.8 pistons, roller everything, McLeod dual disk clutch w/ aluminum flywheel, Richmond 6 spd, 3" dual exhaust, 300hp nitrous fogger, much, much more.
LS1 eater.. big time!!

1985 FoToLet, work truck, 85 Toyota 4x4 (started as), Reading bed, ladder racks, 8" lift, 33 x 12.5's, Vette 350 4 bolt motor, Hooker Super Comp headers, Ford 9" rear, Toyota front diff, turbo 350 coupled to a Toyota transfer case, 410 gears, a/c & power steering. f-a-a-s-t A/C & heat calls..... my specialty.

web page: http://personal.picusnet.com/undy

 

I'm with LTNBOLT mines stayin in. I run the stock 180 in the winter time and the 160 starting about a month ago.
The Lightning runs better when it is cooler, period! If you are running on the edge of detonation on the street it will give you some room to play.
Dale

 

Sorry folks, if the normal operating temp is ~180 degrees, putting in any brand of 160 thermostat is not going to make the vehicle run cooler. All the thermostat does is keep coolant circulating inside the engine until it reaches the preset temp, then opens allowing flow to the radiator.
Once it is open, it has absolutely no effect on engine temp.

Only way a thermostat can effect the cooling system is if it is stuck open, or stuck closed.

Rex

 

Man, everybody wants proof. Well here you go. This is what my plugs look like at WOT. They burn tan like the bottom of the ground electrode in pic #3 under normal driving.
http://www.svtperformance.com/ubb/Fo...ML/000145.html

Go to this link and scroll down until you see my temp gauge and you will notice it runs lower than a gauge with a 180 stat. The engine does run cooler.
http://home.midsouth.rr.com/lightningpage/airbox.html


------------------
Later,
Chuck
Black 00
Chuck's Lightning Page



[This message has been edited by LTNBOLT (edited 04-26-2001).]

 

I've been running the 160 for about 9-10 months. It works great. Cooler engines live longer. It also opens quicker, which if your bracket racing and your truck cools off between runs, it doesn't run well if you come to the line and the thermostat is still closed. You can get the 160 open usually before you do your bunout. I'm keeping mine.
noelvm


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"ANYTHING OTHER THAN 1ST, SUCKS" (D.Earnhardt)
99.5 Red Ligntning, Mobil 1, PRO-M 80 MM MAF/filter, Custom Superchip, Eldebrock 5512 muffler, CAL TRACS, MT ET Streets, best time (1/8) 8.19, Bugflector II, G&H Lens covers head & fog, 200 WT Pioneer 4 CH AMP, BOSE 301 SERIES IV SPEAKERS (IN BACK)LONESTAR RACEWAY 2000 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (AT 56)
70 Vette LS-6 454 (gathering dust in the garage)

 

I agree.



------------------
Rick
'01 Red Lightning Ordered 11/30/00
Built On 2/20/01
Arrived at Dealer 3/19/01
Picked Up 4/5/01
Mods:
Downey SST
BedRug

 

hypertech # 1011 order right through summit

 

LQ,
What's the PN on the thermostat? And where did you get it?
On my C4 which ran 200+, I installed the Hypertech which all the Vette guys say is garbarge (didn't work that way in my application) and I installed the lower thermostat which dropped my temps significantly (keep in mind Phx, and our 115 summer temps!). With just those two mods I have attracted alot of attention with my Vette at the track.
Don't know how this will work on the L, but with the summer temps we run here, I'm gonna give it a try.

 

quick question, does anyone make a 170 degree thermostat ?

 

Pvteye was correct in his description, just wrong in his assumption. He said As I said this is exactly correct, but the assumption is wrong. Here in the Phoenix area, where as Peter said we have summer temps in the 115degF range, the ambient temperature is so high that even a 140degF thermostat will have no effect on steady state temperatures. Obviously a 140degF thermostat will open earlier, and you may be at a lower temp for a few more initial miles, but eventually the temperature will rise until it achieves steady state (possibly greater than 180degF in our summer). In the winter months when the ambient temperatures are much colder, the thermostat will regulate the flow of water to maintain the rated temperature. It’s all a function of the heat rejection capability of the radiator, and the temperature it’s rejecting to. Undy above also correctly pointed out that the best performing engine is one that is running at the temperature it was designed for. The thermostat forces the engine to achieve that temperature as soon as possible, and then it is the ambient conditions that may or may not allow you to remain there.

The HYPERTECH boys have always used the thermostat as their ploy to trick the computer to run the injectors rich. Of course, for the reasons stated above, this only works for the first few miles when the engine is dead cold, or all the time when the ambient temps are low. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if their “chip” does nothing and it’s really the thermostat that’s making the power .


------------------
Joel.......
99.5 White Lightning,
SVT # 0056