Is a low temperature thermostat the answer?

[Ford ST]

I believe this is a great article discussing low temperature thermostats. Feel free to discuss.
http://www.tuneruniversity.com/blog/2012/04/low-temp-thermostats-whats-the-advantage/

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[MRX330]

Put a 180deg thermostat on volcano 🌋 and see if it gets cooler. Thank you sir 👍🇺🇸

 

[Dpro]

Great article and pretty much what I have thought and learned about thermostats. I was always kind of like why is everyone recommending a cooler thermostat? I picked up a 180 degree thermostat but was never quite sure I was going to throw it in. The more important thing was the larger aluminum radiator. Hence I bought a Mountune rad for my car not long after getting the car because A: it made sense given our stock radiator is tiny and B: our stock radiator has plastic end tanks as well which have been proven to fail on other vehicles.

 

[Ford ST]

My thought is a lower temperature thermostat just gives you a longer window before you overheat. Once a thermostat fully opens it no longer plays a role. If the temperature continues to climb after the thermostat is fully open, it's your cooling systems deficiency in removing heat that's the issue.

I do see one advantage though. If going to a lower temperature thermostat gives you let's say a 10 minute extra window of a particular activity before you overheat that may be enough for that particular person.

Example a 180 thermostat should fully open by 200 degrees ones you exceed 200 degrees it's no longer playing a role in the process when it comes to overheating.
Let's say you're at 225 and climbing the issue is the radiator, or the fan. Sometimes it can be the water pump that's worn out but that's not the issue with the fiesta. It's the baby cooling system.

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[M-Sport fan]

I would much rather be able to MANUALLY, AT WILL, control the low and high speed fan switch-on points, than just install a lower opening temp stat, given the factory radiator (or even one of the aftermarket ones for that matter).

 

[koozy]

Thermostats are part of the equation. Here is some real world data presented specifically from my FiST.
Max temperatures for oil and coolant have been highlighted. Data was collected after high load, high rev, ~40 minute canyon runs.
Huge drops IMO, and I'm glad to have done the mods.

Stock OE cooling system with stock oil cooler.


After Mishimoto Radiator and Motorcraft 180 Deg F thermostat with stock oil cooler.
Note: higher boost with this run.

 

[Dpro]

Thermostats are part of the equation. Here is some real world data presented specifically from my FiST.
Max temperatures for oil and coolant have been highlighted. Data was collected after high load, high rev, ~40 minute canyon runs.
Huge drops IMO, and I'm glad to have done the mods.

Stock OE cooling system with stock oil cooler.
View attachment 21270

After Mishimoto Radiator and Motorcraft 180 Deg F thermostat with stock oil cooler.
Note: higher boost with this run.
View attachment 21271

This is the kind of data that needs to be posted.

 

[Ford ST]

Thermostats are part of the equation. Here is some real world data presented specifically from my FiST.
Max temperatures for oil and coolant have been highlighted. Data was collected after high load, high rev, ~40 minute canyon runs.
Huge drops IMO, and I'm glad to have done the mods.

Stock OE cooling system with stock oil cooler.
View attachment 21270

After Mishimoto Radiator and Motorcraft 180 Deg F thermostat with stock oil cooler.
Note: higher boost with this run.
View attachment 21271

What do you think your results would have been if you had just done the thermostat and not the radiator? I'm going to say with a radiator upgrade with your original thermostat would have been 215 max temperature.

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[koozy]

It would only be a guess because I didn’t get to try that and I hate to be a guy that gives out false claims and facts.

My best guess is max peak temps would be little to no change from OE, however with a lower temp stat it would take more time to reach that max peak so that’s where some benefits can be experienced with cooler running temps across the board with oil and coolant because more cooling is being provided and sooner. That’s why people who do the swap note the cooler operating temps.

Upgraded radiator has the biggest impact.

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