[92LX5.0Hatch]

In the spring i am doing a complete cooling system overhaul, on my 92 LX 5.0

I am installing new cooling hoses, water pump, thermostat, and maybe even an electric radiator fan, As well as flushing the system and adding new coolant. At the same time i am installing my march underdrive pulleys.

My question to anyone is... since my underdrive pulleys are going to turn my water pump slower and from this point on my car is only going to be driven during the spring, summer, and fall months, should i look into maybe installing a 180 degree thermostat, rather than the stock 192 degree. To keep her cooler with this added abuse i am going to give her.

I have already purchased the 192 degree, but i can easily return it.

Let me know, Thanks

 

[GhostDog 5.0]

I would keep the 192 one because you are in canada and it much colder than most places.

 

[92LX5.0Hatch]

Thanks for the reply, yea that is true. We are colder than most places. But we see some super hot summers. This winter has been freezing and melting the whole time, we've been lucky. But i have never had cooling problems with my current 192 degree so far. I have 189, 000KM's on origional one.

Also putting a 180 degree thermostat in will also cause my engine to run richer correct?, that might not be so good. I dont want to foul up spark plugs on a cold spring or fall morning. I am currently enrolled in Automotive Service Program, i am only 18. So i am still learning alot of stuff, but i know that a cooler engine doesnt allways perform better, Ford put the 192 in for a reason, thats what the 302 is designed to run at.

Thanks for your input, i think i will stick with the 192. Its not that much warmer anyway. And with the electric fan, i should be able to control my temperature alot more percisely.

Also my stock rad fan has tons of cracks in it, ever experience this on a 5.0, it seems to be a common 5.0 thing. I am installing the electric fan because my plastic one doesnt look so healthy.

 

[MOFU]

i know i had huge cracks in my fan (stock one)...dunno why just does i guess..got an electric fan put in..but seems a lot smaller than that stock..that normal?

 

[92LX5.0Hatch]

yup, thats normal. My electric fan will only cover 75% of my rad, and thats all it has to cover to cool properly. An electric fan will pull alot more air through a smaller area than that stock one will. I actually had my electric fan on before, and it cooled great, i could feel at least 10-15 hp was free'd up, and better fuel milage, and most of all i had alot less vibrations at high rpm... like around 5, 000RPM. Which you can imagine is quite hard on the water pump and belt vibrating like that, and its kinda iritating.

In the spring my electric goes on, i didnt want that extra 15hp to the wheels during our candian winters, besides i didnt wanna get snow caught in it or something. I do miss the power it free'd up when i am drag racing however.

 

[MOFU]

i dunno how your winter has been this year...but here in Ottawa,Ontario...it's been actually pretty mild...usually around this time of month/year it's below 30-40's...but then again..it ain't february yet

i'm nice and warm when i get in my daily car (wrx) with my HEATED SEATS:tongue

 

[92LX5.0Hatch]

Its quite nice in saskatchewan, weve had some storms and icey conidtions, but had alot of warm weather to melt it all. Its like it storms... then melts, snows and gets cold then melts. Over and over.

Been lucky this winter, and thats good considering its my 5.0's last winter in the snow.

Im buying my uncles Dodge Dakota this summer... i know its a Dodge, but thats still better than Chevy in my opinion. Dont worry i am still all Ford at heart.

 

[meangreen92]

On my car, a 180º does kind of suck in the winter. If it's above 35ºF outside, it's ok, though. The 192º does give good heat, but makes the motor run a little warm, in the summer, for my tastes. If you don't mind changing the 'stat twice a year, just alternate. I haven't put the 192º in yet, this year. Probably won't.
Definitely don't run a 160º, you won't get any heat, and it's bad for the motor itself, lubricationwise, as well as what it does on a fuel injected engine.

 

[5SpeedGT]

I've found that most parts store 180* stat's are NOT actually 180* They list a range of operation, usually 180*-192*. The stat starts to open at 180*, which is safely above the 172* the EEC needs to see to go into closed loop, and is fully open by 192*. I live in Ontario as well, and I sit comfortably at 190* dead on, which is way better than the 210*+ I was getting with the 192* stat. Another bonus is you get heat a little quicker in the cold1

 

[tmoss]

The EEC will actually go into closed loop below 172 degrees - I have TwEECer logs that show it......remember, all the values in this graph were taken in closed loop...........