What degree of Theromstat do you all recomend for a kinda srock 454?

I'd run a 180. BBC's tend to run warm.

I think a 160 is the best for just about everything, of course I will get arguments. The cooler your engine runs the cooler the cylinder is and farther from detination. If you could get the oil hot and the top end cool it would be just about right.

The 454 in our tow truck runs about 220°-230° all the time

Are you going to drive it in the winter, and is it cold where you live in the winter. That's about the only reason you would want a 195 thermostat.

I always thought that if you used a lower temp thermostat the engine would run cooler (untill I ran a blower). If it runs at 200* I believe it wouldn't matter which one you use.

I run 180 in my BBC, its the happy medium. 160 is a liitle cool to flash off condensates in the oil. 195 is good for winter driving, but a little to warm for maximum power in the summer.
This has been my experieance with my BBC, your milage may vary.

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70 Camaro Z/28 with 461cu.in. BBC & OD Auto, 3.31 12 bolt posi.

This is a touchy subject, some people swear that a cold engine will make more power and others say a hot engine makes more power. Most engines burn the cleanest and get the best mpg the hotter they get, thats why all new cars and trucks tend to run from 210*F to 240*F cylinder head temp. Best power is made the opposite way, the colder the intake charge the denser the air which means more air and fuel can be packed into the chamber.

To make an engine make the most possible HP and get the best burn and mpg it would have to have a nice and toasty combustion chamber and an ice cold air/fuel charge. Ofcourse this isnt gonna happen in the real world so you have to compramize, keep the coolant cooler for more power or make the cooler hotter for for better mpg.

I run a 180*F t-stat, that keeps my cylinder head coolant temps at 195*-215*F. Lower temps than that and gas mileage goes down, the engine feels sloggish and the heater doesnt work.

All autozone carried was 192 deg
I had to get that to get my car up and going.
I wont see any problems will I??

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by badazz81z28:
All autozone carried was 192 deg
I had to get that to get my car up and going.
I wont see any problems will I??</font>

nope.



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70 Z28
397 sb
6 speed

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by badazz81z28:
All autozone carried was 192 deg
I had to get that to get my car up and going.
I wont see any problems will I??</font>

As long as your cooling system is in good working order you shouldnt have any problems, the engine will just have a minium temp of 192*F so youll want to tune it at that temp.

Ive never used one?
my motor runs about 170-180

[This message has been edited by Mwilson (edited January 25, 2005).]

I don't have a BBC, I have a 350, but in the winter I use a 195* and it runs around 200* all the time. Thats where it runs the best. Run it much cooler, and its pretty sluggish and a bit rough, run it hotter and it lays down a bit untill you get the revs up. If its at or within 10* of 200, it kicks ass at all rpms, runs nice and smooth, and gets decent mileage.

I use a 180* in the summer though, since my 350 seemed to get pretty hot (elec fan ALWAYS running) in the summer with a 195* thermo. It seemed nice and happy with the 180* after I changed it out midway through last summer. Temp sat right on 200-210 and the fan almost never came on unless it sat idling for about 15 mins on a blazing hot day (fan comes on at 230*). 99% of the time, it just ran happily at 200-210* all day with the 180* in the summer, and now does the same with 195* in the winter.

This is in a 3rdgen though... in my experience, they tend to run warmer than a 2ndgen with a similar engine will, just because theres less airflow through the rad, because theres not as much... grill?... as a 2ndgen has.