160* Thermostat Question

[Boomer Sooner]

I was just given a 160* thermostat out of a '02 Z28 that a guy I know wrapped around a tree.

My question is, is it worth it to put this on my '99 Z28? Will this actually keep my car running cooler? My car is basically stock....free ram air mod, de-baffled stock lid, K and N filter, no cats, and a Flowmaster Super 40 muffler.

Thank you for your opinions/advice!

[CamaroSpike23]

yes and no.

it will open sooner than a 180* (or even a 190* t-stat that was installed in some cars) so when you are moving your car will stay cooler. but if you dont have your fans programmed to come on sooner (stock is 225* for the first one and 235* for the second one), then while you are sitting still, it will still open sooner, but you will still get hot untill your fans kick in.

have you gotten a tune for your car at all?

[Boomer Sooner]

Spike, Thank you for the quick response!

So I would need a tune to reprogram my fans to come on sooner if I did put it(160* thermo) in?

I haven't gotten it tuned as I really don't have any performance mods and thought it would be a waste of money.

Although, this past month a local speed shop opened up a few miles up the hwy from my house, I stopped by the other day to kind of poke my head around and ask a few questions. For 3 runs on a dyno, adjusting fuel and air(is what they sad-I don't know jack shit about that stuff) they said they charge $75. As far as I know, that is pretty cheap, correct? Or, maybe I'm way off on the pricing of dyno's. I've just heard they are usually alot higher than that for a dyno tune.

Once agian, thank you for the quick response!

[CamaroSpike23]

you dont need to tune your fans to gain benefits from it, but it is recommended cus like I said in the first post, the t-stat will open earlier, but when you are at a stop with no air circulating the car will still continue to get hot untill the fans come on. you can buy a switch and wire the fans to come on when you want them to, tho if you forget to turn them on bad things can happen, and if you forget to turn them off, you can drain your battery.

really any car will benefit from a tune, mods or not. you've got a modified intake and exhaust, a tune would help some things.

as far as the speed shop if all they are doing is adjusting the air/fuel ratio (which is basically changing the fuel tables as most cars run pig rich from the factory as a safety thing), then thats not a bad price. we do $50.00 for 2 runs on a dyno down here but I doubt they will do a full dyno tune for that price.
they'll probably run a base run, change a few things, run it again, change a few things then run one last time and send you on your way. which isnt to say that its a bad deal. sounds like a good deal actually to get some minor tuning as well as dyno numbers for your car.

as for the pricing of dynos, just making a dyno run isnt usually expensive. its dyno tuning that gets expensive and is usually based per hour spent on the dyno.

just thought of something, check out www.herronperformance.com its my buddy Shon's website, shoot him an email and tell him Greg Norris (or Spike) sent you and that you are looking for a mail order tune. IIRC he charges ~$160.00 for a mail order tune, you tell him what mods you've got and what other things you want (like the fans reprogramed) and ship him your pcm (or buy one off ebay so you dont have to have your car down while you wait, even tho his turnaround time is pretty quick), and he'll reprogram it and ship it back.

shame you dont have an LT1, cus he could give you the same tune that ran 11 sec bolt-on. lol

[Boomer Sooner]

Wow! Lots of information that I didn't know and can now use!

Thank you very much for taking the time to explain such a basic question(to you I assume) to a newbie like me.

All the information you shared helped me get a better understanding of what exactly a "dyno tune" is.