what is the correct thermostat to use...?

shommel · 08-13-2009

i have a 65 A code gt fastback and want to know what the correct thermostat should be. ive heard 180 and 160 which is it. the car tends to run hot with the 180 in it, but others have said use the 160.please help and give reasons why on either one. thanks

66Sprint200 · 08-13-2009

Don't use a 160! That is too low for our engines. They are designed to run up in the 200s. I put a factory 195 in mine and it hasn't overheated yet.

XmasStang66 · 08-13-2009

Have you flushed the system? If not then give that a try. Second, do you have the spring in the lower radiator hose? The hose tends to collapse after 35mph (air pushing against the lower rad hose). I made that mistake when I replaced all my hoses. Are you using 50/50 (antifreeze/distilled water)?

There are many articles out there with pros and cons for your exact question. I tried 195 and 180 with overheating problems. I switched to the 160 and haven't had one overheating since I installed it 18 months ago. I drove 2hrs each way last weekend with an hour at 65mph.

cindys_sn95 · 08-13-2009

check the things xmas said and put a 160 in it. it will work fine.

blea9082 · 08-13-2009

Lots of debate 180 vs 160. You say it runs hot, what do you consider to be "hot". It might be running just fine, but your perception is that it is too hot? Is there a big difference in temp running down the highway at 60 or so versus idling in traffic and stop/go?

Jonk67 · 08-13-2009

Going to get a lot of opinions on this one, my vote is a 180* at min., 160* is too low and the coolant won't stay in the rad. long enough to cool before it is circulated into the hot motor again, much like not having a Tstat at all.
Here's a link to the most recent discussion on this:
http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forum...hermostat.html

Jon

65BlueHorse · 08-14-2009

I've had both a 160 and a 180 thermostat in mine. with the 160 my car never got over 170 degrees except on really hot days. i switched to a 180 then so that the car would run a little hotter. Now it runs between 180 and 190 most of the time. from all the stuff i have read the car should run between 180-200 most of the time. My preference would be the 180 but either should be fine.

jspagna1 · 08-17-2009

In the old days we ran no thermostats. Today that is a no no. I tried them both and ended up with a 160 in mine. Every car is different. You will need to experiment.