Themostat Temp

[Contibob]

I am replacing the thermostat in my Del Rio. I went to the parts store to buy a new one and the guy at the counter starting ranting about why I would use a 160 thermostat in my car. I live in So Cal. I have used a 160 thermostat in every car I have owned, 52 years of no problems caused by the thermostat. He professed that running a 160 would cause my engine to wear out faster and performance would be less. I looked online and as always there are differing opinions on this subject. Any feed back? I have the 312 fordomatic. It was running very hot when I would climb hills and decided to replace the radiator which led to replacing thermostat, hoses and such.

[oldave57]

I doubt if the 160 degree thermostat would cause any problem of excess engine wear or running too cool in your part of the country.  If your car was running hot before you changed radiators, it was likely not caused by the thermostat either since it should have been wide open when the engine was at higher temperatures.  If you were in a colder part of the country and ran your car in colder temperatures, then a higher temp thermostat would make sense, but if you have run a 160 thermostat for all these years and that's what you feel comfortable with, it should be just fine. 

Good Luck,
Dave

[lalessi1]

I would be willing to bet that Ford spec'd a 160 degree thermostat for your climate. My car runs considerably better at 160 than at any other temp, has a lot to do with the carburetor. Modern engine are designed to run much hotter because it is more thermally efficient but they are computer controlled to allow that to happen.

[59meteor]

Agreed, I have been running 160 thermostats in my older "toy" vehicles for decades, mostly with 390 and 428 FE engines. Never had any issues, including my 74 F350 ramp truck race car hauler, with a  390. I did a ball hone and piston ring low buck rebuild on it in 1990, drove it to dragstrips from BC Canada, to Sonoma California, and all over Washington and Oregon, for 26 years, before I sold it, never had to add any oil between oil changes, at over 10,000 pounds. The guy that I sold the truck is another racer, and he says it still runs fine. So, a if a 45 + year old engine, with it`s factory installed pistons, is still running well, and not burning oil ,while using a 160 thermostat, could somebody please tell me when this so called premature engine wear should be occurring? That said, I do have a sheet from Sealed Power showing a graph concerning engine wear vs coolant temps, however, this added wear was shown to happen at temps, mainly at 120 or less degrees. Between 160 and 200 is very similar on this graph. Yes, modern computer controlled, EFI engines turned for minimal exhaust emissions, come with 192 ish thermostats, but 50s and 60s carburated car engines certainly did not. As mentioned, older carbed engines run better and make more power at lower temperatures, not to mention it leaves more "comfort zone" if stuck in traffic, and reduces the chance of vapor lock or fuel percolation in a heat soak situation. Yeah, maybe my heater would be hotter with a higher T stat, but how many of us are driving our 60+ year old hobby cars in freezing winter climates anyhow?

[Contibob]

Thanks for your comments. I am sticking with my 160. Here in So Cal it is going to run hotter than 160 anyway most of the time. 160 is just when it opens. I have also never had a problem with heat from my heater. The rare times that I use it, it has always been warm enough for me.

[mustang6984]

Thanks for your comments. I am sticking with my 160. Here in So Cal it is going to run hotter than 160 anyway most of the time. 160 is just when it opens. I have also never had a problem with heat from my heater. The rare times that I use it, it has always been warm enough for me.

When I lived in SD in my high school days my Courier had a 352 with 390 heads and 406 springs if I recall. Was a bit nasty. I found I was running hot in the summer. At that time I knew next to nothing about cars...ignorant was the word I believe. I had purchased the car with that set up. A buddy who was infinitely wiser than I told me to change the thermostat to a lower temp...I think it was around 160. A previous attempt to drive it to L.A. had failed. After the change...no problem. This was in'71.

I think when I put the 390 in my Courier here in MO...I will go with the 160 also. Sounds like everyone who has gone that route has been happy. I'll be running a 406 tri-power...but other than that stock engine.