Why would I install a 180 T Stat?

 

keeps the engine cooler

 

A 180 degree thermostat will keep the engine cooler therefor will perform better and last longer. The only reason newer vehicles have higher temp thermostats is because its supposed to help with emissions.

 

Higher temp t-stats = leaner A/F ratio, better gas mileage, less emissions & less oil sludge.

Lower temp t-stats = richer A/F ratio, more power & longer engine life (although this is in theory, never really proven)...

 

And dont forget these two threads about stats in our FAQs

Thermostat part #s

What temp thermostat you runnin!

 

I'd like to come back and add that the t-stat from the factory is set at a temp for premium performance (mileage/power). Lowering the temp would keep engine cooler, but the air to fuel mixture is based on the Air Temp not the block temp. The warmth of the block warms the lubricants and parts for the most efficient movement.

WITH THAT SAID...I will put in a 180 when I start traveling with the camper (28' Fifth Wheel) 3 and 4 times a summer. The extra work could use the water flow opened sooner then later.

 

how exactly does it keep the engine cooler i have the fan clutch and i thought that the hotter the engine got the more the metal in the fan expanded making it spin faster

 

Actually studies find that lower temps increase cylinder wear. The difference between 195 and 180 is small but once you go below 180 wear increases quite a bit.

 

On a side note, i've seen guys run 170's with no issues. But as we all know, their hemi is not your hemi. Just because theycan get away with it doesn't mean i or we can. But that's not to say we cannot either.

 

The coolant inside your engine does not go through the radiator until the thermostat opens up. A fast spinning fan won't do anything but cool the fluid inside the radiator faster until the engine itself hits X temp.

With a 195 degree thermostat, once the coolant in the engine hits 195 degrees then the thermostat opens and allows the coolant to flow into the radiator, and the cooler fluid in the radiator circulates into the engine.

Running a 180 degree thermostat makes that happen at 180 degrees instead of 195.