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160 or 180? That is the question...
- Thread starter Sharpish
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mgbmedic
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i believe he's refering to the engine #. 18G. I live in Southern Indiana where the weather is extremely hot in summer and the winters are typically mild. I use a 160 degree thermostat for summer and the 180 for winter. The 180 makes the heater work better in cold climates.
Steve_S
Yoda
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The number on the thermostat refers to the temperature at which it opens to let coolant flow through the radiator. Therefore, a 160-degree thermostat will begin cooling the car at 160, and a 180-degree unit will begin cooling at 180. Barring any extreme cold, the temperature you choose will be the minimum the car will be allowed to run.
Now speaking technically, MGB engines run best at around 190-degrees. So in a perfect world we would all run a 190-degree thermostat. However in hotter climates our cars typically run much hotter than what the thermostat is rated for, so whether you run a 180, a 160 or even no thermostat at all, your car will run at exactly the same temperature on a hot day.
While a 180-degree thermostat is technically the proper one for an MGB in any climate, most people run a 160 in hotter areas to allow for that extra bit of cooling you may get on a decent where the engine may cool to 170 or so before the next big climb.
Now speaking technically, MGB engines run best at around 190-degrees. So in a perfect world we would all run a 190-degree thermostat. However in hotter climates our cars typically run much hotter than what the thermostat is rated for, so whether you run a 180, a 160 or even no thermostat at all, your car will run at exactly the same temperature on a hot day.
While a 180-degree thermostat is technically the proper one for an MGB in any climate, most people run a 160 in hotter areas to allow for that extra bit of cooling you may get on a decent where the engine may cool to 170 or so before the next big climb.
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Hmm... I would expect running without a 'stat on a 'hot day' to result in nothing but an overheat condition. The coolant passing through the system with NO RESTRICTION will not perform heat exchange properly at the radiator; it will be flowing through much too quickly at higher RPM, and nearly, to not at all at low RPM. Baaad Juju.
Steve_S
Yoda
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When you remove a thermostat you want to be sure and install a blanking sleeve. From what I've been told, the reduced restriction by removing the thermo does not significantly affect flow through the radiator since the cooling system on older cars is not nearly as efficient as older ones anyway.
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[ QUOTE ]
When you remove a thermostat you want to be sure and install a blanking sleeve. From what I've been told, the reduced restriction by removing the thermo does not significantly affect flow through the radiator since the cooling system on older cars is not nearly as efficient as older ones anyway.
[/ QUOTE ]
Kinda where I was going. The "restrictor plate" used in the 18GB engines was more like a restrictor "tube" in that it stands proud of the head surface into the 'stat housing just enough to restrict the flow... and believe me, pulling the 'stat and NOT putting in a restricting device, hoping the pump et al are NOT efficient enuff to make a difference is folly in hotter climes. A lesson learned the hard way by many a B owner here in Florida.
I expect your meaning was "...not nearly as efficient as *newer* ones anyway."
When you remove a thermostat you want to be sure and install a blanking sleeve. From what I've been told, the reduced restriction by removing the thermo does not significantly affect flow through the radiator since the cooling system on older cars is not nearly as efficient as older ones anyway.
[/ QUOTE ]
Kinda where I was going. The "restrictor plate" used in the 18GB engines was more like a restrictor "tube" in that it stands proud of the head surface into the 'stat housing just enough to restrict the flow... and believe me, pulling the 'stat and NOT putting in a restricting device, hoping the pump et al are NOT efficient enuff to make a difference is folly in hotter climes. A lesson learned the hard way by many a B owner here in Florida.
I expect your meaning was "...not nearly as efficient as *newer* ones anyway."