What thermostst

[jason340]

70 Challenger 440, six pack. What degree thermostat do y'all use. I now have a 160 degree and the heater hardly gets warm on high and the engine gauge runs about one fourth the way up.  Thanks

[burdar]

A cooler thermostat isn't good for the engine.  Engine wear increases when the temp goes down.  You need some heat in it.  What was the factory rating for a BB?  My small block stuff came with a 192 degree stat and that's what I use.  The thermostat has nothing to do with engine overheating like some believe.  The only thing that the thermostat does is control the "lowest" temp the engine will run at.  If the cooling system pulls out too much heat, the thermostat closes to regulate the "lowest" temp.  If the cooling system isn't up to par, a lower thermostat isn't going to fix it. 

I say 180 degree stat at minimum.  If the factory put a 190 degree in them then that's what I'd try.

[dodj]

190*

[HP_Cuda]

Definitely 190 as fuel atomizes the best at this temp.

[jason340]

Thanks guys. I will be shopping tomorrow.  What is your thought about drilling a 1/16th" hole in the new tstat to let it burp air? I have seen that done somewhere.
Looking on line all I see is either 180 or 195, no 190.

[HP_Cuda]

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/plymouth,1970,cuda,5.6l+340cid+v8,1231726,cooling+system,thermostat,2200

The stock replacement was a 195 so that's what I would run.

[dodj]

Mine is a 195*, I think?

[burdar]

Drill the hole. It makes filling the system easier. Some thermostats already have a little valve in them.

[jason340]

Thanks for the replies.

[dfrazz]

Along with a tstat, you might want to think about a new high volume water pump.  http://www.manciniracing.com/mabhealwapu1.html

[jason340]

Don't need that, the engine is running too cool now.

[Road_Runner]

Others may be right about 180 degree thermostats being better for the fuel mix or engine wear, I don't know.  But the Roadrunner always liked running as cool as possible and seemed to run better on a 160 degree so that's what I always ran.  Maybe it had something to do with the meager 22" radiator it came with so I may revisit  this since I'm upgrading to a max cool 26" aluminum radiator.