thermostat temp
 

my engine is running at 181. my mechanic thinks we need to increase the temp to run more efficiently.
2002 trans am ls1 fully stock. looking for a higher temp thermo . seems the stock is 160 and I can't find anything over 180. He thinks we need 195. It appears my themo is a one piece unit. Does anyone sell a 195 . I can't seem to find one. Not sure what I currently have in there. I assume 160 just because I replaced at swap time with a ac Delco.

Re: thermostat temp
 

the general put 160s in there..so id be good with that..
i did some digging and theres much disussion out there about the LS1 160deg thermostats..
my LQ9 has a 165deg in it..it came that way from factory.. my fans kick on at 175 and 185
truck runs 185 all day long no matter how hot outside air is or how heavy ofa trailer im pulling

Re: thermostat temp
 

A bunch of places sell the 187 thermostat, which seems to be the standard one. Everybody shows a 160 thermostat, but they kind of list it as an option. The lower thermostat would probably make it run a little richer if the engine was designed for the 187.

Re: thermostat temp
 

From the limited knowledge I have about the LS platform, the way I understand it, they perform better at a higher temperature.
I do know that, looking at the factory fan settings on my LS1 (stock thermostat I assume), they were set to come on at 226º which seems a little high (to me).
I adjusted mine for 195º and 205º (fan1, fan2)
I bought the Entropy LS swap radiator and when I was test running it, fan 1 came on at 195º so I know it's getting to that tempº (at least at an idle)
it will be a while before it gets on the road but I'm anxious to see how it behaves then.

Re: thermostat temp
 

before you invest in another thermostat invest in a digital temperature gun, you can then be assured that the temperature gauge is close or accurate. You can buy these all over for under $25.00

Re: thermostat temp
 

i got the temp reading from a snap on pcm computer readout that my mechanic scanned with.

Re: thermostat temp
 

187 is standard, put that in.