An argument FOR thermostats. ..

Ralph Moore

Ralph Moore

Well-known member
Driving to work this morning, my AV8 with 52 Merc motor , with early heads, and no t- stats, was running poorly, I almost turned around and took it home, but it smoothed out some and ran ok. But the whole trip, about 15 miles, the top temp was 130 degrees.
The outside air temp this morning was about 45 degrees.
I guess I'll be putting some in before fall gets here!
 
if your engine isn't running near 180 degrees your engine is not completely burning the fuel charge, carboning up your rings, valve faces and stems, along with the carbon building on the top of the pistons, but the worst thing is the sludge forming in the pan and engine because the oil doesn't get hot enough to burn off the contaminates
 
WestCoast said:
if your engine isn't running near 180 degrees your engine is not completely burning the fuel charge, carboning up your rings, valve faces and stems, along with the carbon building on the top of the pistons, but the worst thing is the sludge forming in the pan and engine because the oil doesn't get hot enough to burn off the contaminates
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What he said X 10000


Lonnie
 
I agree they are there for a reason, I bought two NOS dole thermostats on e bay 170 deg ,installed in my 40 deluxe ,the car runs a lot better with them. temp gauge shows about 175-180 deg on a 90 deg day.
 
I think they should run even hotter, I recommend 180 deg stats and the engine should run between 180 to200 for best power and economy. Especiall those with the forged pistons, this will tighten them up a bit.
 
"So what is the best thermostat for a 59AB stock engine? Thanks"

I like and use the NAPA THM111 thermostat. It's a high flow 170 degree used in a Subaru
 
Hi Ralph, as indicated there are lots of arguments about t-stats in a flatty. Everyone should know that overheating in Ford V8 flattys since the beginning. Having said that I have gone with and without. It does seem as though even in the hot weather my 8BA runs better / doesn't overheat runs better with the t-stats in. I deduce from many threads on the subject that is because in the hotter weather if you don't have stats the water runs through the engine too fast not giving in engine time to absorb the heat and expel it at the radiator. So much for why the stats work better in summer. I run 160's and in summer the engine runs at 180 to 200 ( as Ole Ron says that's optimum for performance. In the winter and fall with temps more like yours 45 to 50F it ran at 160 with and less than that without. If your cruises are typically at or below 50f for a significant length of time reunning at 130f as you indicate then as has been said your not getting the most out of your engine and are probable building carbon and fouling your plugs. Go with 180 stats and check your plugs. As you probably know you can use MMM oil treatment poured slowly through the carb ( trickle it ) at a fast idle and clean out the carbon already built up. Lots of smoke when you do and that's normal. Some think this is an old wives tail but I have done on many older engines and when I finally got around to pulling the heads for what ever the tops of the pistons and cylinder heads were amazingly clean for older engines with 100K plus miles. Sea foam auto additive will do the same. Instructions on use for same http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/how-to-use-seafoam-to-clean-your-engine-the-right-way.html

Here's more info on it http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Foam-SF-16-Motor-Treatment/dp/B0002JN2EU/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Good luck!!
 
there is a little misunderstanding about thermostats, they really don't make your engine run hotter, if your engine runs at 180 or 190 with 160 degree thermostats it will run 180 or 190 with 180 degree thermostats, all the thermostat does is stop water circulation until the water temp reaches 180, then it opens and lets the water get thru the radiator to be cooled, if you have a quality high flow thermostat the engine wont over heat, it will just get to the thermostats designed temp before letting the water flow and keep the engine temp at the best operating temp
 
Lonnie anyone can write posts, books and articles in magazines about thermostats or other fixes. How about washers with 5/8" holes in the upper water outlet, drill holes in the impellers or remove every other impeller and a lot more "old wives tales. The people that wrote them no doubt think or believes these cures worked. It has been proven in the last 15 years that more coolant flowing through the engine provides better cooling. Any thermostat may work under some conditions like living in Northern parts of the country, not driving the car for long distances on 85 plus days and not driving in heavy traffic. The washer in the hose fix was the largest "fix" that went on for years. The hoses have a 1 3/4" ID that allows a full flow of coolant to circulate though both sides of the engine, any large reduction of flow cause the engine temperatures to rise. There is also the problem of the radiator tubes being a restriction. The coolant must be forced through the tubes or it will back up in the top tank and run out the over flow on early cars without a pressure cap. This causes the coolant to become low and the engine runs hotter. Most modern thermostats have about a 7/8 ID opening restricting the flow, the only stats I know of that have larger openings that are less restrictive are the ones that Robertshaw made is the 330 series, 330-160 and 330-180. Myself, friends and Bob Shewman has well over a 1,000 old Fords in hot weather using these with engines running in the 180 range in 90 plus temperatures. True results are produced in the deep South where it is 85 or higher most of the year. G.M.
 
Jeez.......Ralph only mentions the nature and importance of running T-stats to heat-up an engine in a colder environment........he clearly said it was 45 degrees F. ambient and that the engine only reached 130 F. operating temp, yet we're given the full-on, "only Skip's way is the right way" version of keeping a flathead cool.......AGAIN! That repetitive and rhetorical "ad" is starting to get very old. DD
 
Yes, I have the opposite problem of most flathead owners, how to make it run hotter.
In running the early heads, do I have to have the type that slips down into the head?
Weren't the original ones made like a tube, instead of the more modern flat style?
 
WestCoast said:
there is a little misunderstanding about thermostats, they really don't make your engine run hotter, if your engine runs at 180 or 190 with 160 degree thermostats it will run 180 or 190 with 180 degree thermostats, all the thermostat does is stop water circulation until the water temp reaches 180, then it opens and lets the water get thru the radiator to be cooled, if you have a quality high flow thermostat the engine wont over heat, it will just get to the thermostats designed temp before letting the water flow and keep the engine temp at the best operating temp
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I would agree with you except to say that if thermostats do not fail shut and believe me they will make your engine run hotter real quick. I ruined a brand new Edelbrock head about 30 years ago when a tested NOS Genuine Ford thermostat decided not to open.Head warped right now,or at least I never could keep it from leaking after that. I have had thermostats in other vehicles fail open usually with something stuck in them but the one that failed shut was the costliest.
 
V8COOPMAN said:
Jeez.......Ralph only mentions the nature and importance of running T-stats to heat-up an engine in a colder environment........he clearly said it was 45 degrees F. ambient and that the engine only reached 130 F. operating temp, yet we're given the full-on, "only Skip's way is the right way" version of keeping a flathead cool.......AGAIN! That repetitive and rhetorical "ad" is starting to get very old. DD
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Very strange post, I didn't see Skips name mentioned. If you are tired of my posts just pass over them. There are new people on here all the time that have the same heating and fuel problems that has existed for years. I don't like retyping the same thing over
but if it helps just one person that's what this site is all about. G.M.
 
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