160 deg. t-stat too cold? Please help.
 

Well we are having a heat wave here in T.O. 95+ with more humidity than I can stand.
Anyway the car has been running a little hot lately, 210+ in traffic so I decided to install a 160deg tstat. Works great temp now does not go above 200 and sits at about 170-180 all the time.
BUT. Now the engine hesitates and seems to run out of power, I know it's hot and all but she doesnt seem to have the power.
On the highway it is hesitating quite a bit (kinda like a fuel starvation prob), and when I raced my buddy with a high 13 low 14 sec car on a role I barely beat him (usually put 3+ cars right away).
Any help would be great.
As far as cooling I have an oversized 3 core rad otherwise stock.
Fuel 19lb injectors and afpr, 190 in tank pump.
Thanks
Mike

160* stat will make your engine run rich...stick to a 180* stat

well, with that kind of heat, you need to keep an i on your tune. If your timing is set at 14- 16 degrees advanced with that kind of heat you might have some detonation or pre-ignition. Did you hear any pinging sound when you raced your buddy?

I ran a 160 for a while, it worked great at the track at wot, but from what im told here, it keeps you in cold startup mode, which the computer is running in closed loop or something, mine ran rich.

well to make a short story, i went to a 180, and found that to be perfect for daily driving, and some weekend racing, not too cold.

Ditto. If you are a race only vehicle, a 160 is fine. if it's a daily driver, you should never go lower than a 180.

Take care,
-Chris

Thanks guys. Its a weekend car, but I drive it on the street.
So 180* it is.
Again thanks for the replies.
Mike

BTW its 109*F up here today with the humidex, who said Canada is always cold!!!

79 degrees with a breeze blowing in off the ocean.

Take care,
-Chris

Bastard...uhh I mean that sounds like great weather.
Thanks again for the input.
:)

Hey, I'm sorry man, I was all wrong about the weather. I just checked. It's only 78.

Take care,
-Chris

that is just plain mean. 78 degrees

VA is 95 and smokin hot

if it makes you feel any better, the humidity is unusually high today, something like 55%!

Take care,
-Chris

hahaha Chris isnt it fun bragging about So-Cal weather? :D ;)

Anyways i have a 180 degree t-stat in my car and it runs just like it should.

Later,
Nick

You guys havent seen heat till you visit south florida in the summer, try "real feel" temps of over 110 degrees, with road temps over 130..............UGLY HOT!!!!! Not everyday, but quite consistantly though, plus Florida has 4 times more lightning than any other state...and I don't mean FORD lightnings either. LOL

I run a 192 Motorcraft with no probs.

I know Florida just fine. No thank you. It's a beautiful sand bar, don't get me wrong, but for 8 months out of the year, you have to go from your a/c house to your a/c garage, get in your a/c car, go to your a/c job, and at lunch go to an a/c restaurant, etc., etc. I prefer not needing a/c or a heater, but that's just me.

It is rather amazing that vehicles survive there with the stock t-stat, but they do because the system is designed for it. Truthfully, if your system runs hot, you have a problem that needs to be fixed. Installing anything other than the OEM t-stat is nothing more than a band-aid for another, more serious problem, depending of course on engine mods.

Take care,
-Chris