cfresh138 Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 I was wondering what you guys with 160 thermostats were running for operating temps? soon as my truck heats up it stays right around 205-210 doesnt matter if i am idling, hwy driving, WOT, a/c on, a/c, off... i just thought it would run in the 180-190 range. maybe i am wrong. please educate me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevet8754 Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 im normally at around 190-195. never hits 200 in my truck... i know in my camaro it was running a little warm. 205-210 and i changed the thermostat and it fixed the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman31 Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 185* here usually....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cramer Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 I am running about 200* max. I have my fans commanded on at 190* without the AC on, and with the AC on the temp stays about 185* with the fans on high. Weird thing is that I got into my truck after wort the other day (13hrs sitting) and my temp was already 180*. It was 90*+ that day though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfresh138 Posted July 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Maybe I got a bad thermostat... Cause I haven't seen temps below 200 since i put it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JF-03-SS Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 In the cooler months it is between 167*-174* and when its hotter out with the AC running it's between 184*-192*. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Right now in the summer months my truck runs about 195-degrees at freeway cruise; in the city it will fluctuate from 185-195 depending on load, speed, RPM, etc. During the winter months it will run about 3-10 degrees colder. Mr. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrov3r Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 The guy i recently bought my truck from informed me at the time of sale that he had done the thermostat recently among other things. The truck always runs at 210 and sometimes a little over half on 90 plus days. Once or twice a month it will be running at 3/4 but the motor does not appear that hot. Sometime on warm days it will be running down at 170. My question is there a certain thermostat they put in the SS than the 5.3 ect silverados, could i have the wrong one or is this normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason00ss Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 i could be wrong here but when i put a lower temp t-stat in my ls1 camaro it needed to be put in the tune to compensate for it. not sure if that pertains to silverado ss's though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desrtrat Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 do you have a scanner to hook your truck up to? it could be a bad sending unit, or your gauge. what you could try is if you have access to a air compressor, take your fan shroud off and blow air thru your radiator core from the engine out. then flush with a garden hose. if no air, than flush real good with the hose.. you be surprised at the junk that can come out of their. dirt, dead bugs, leaves, all can cause your radiator to not work properly. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70chevy03ss Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 I would look into getting an AeroForce scan gauge. My stock gauge runs at 210. Now today it was 100 outside and my scan gauge read 186 190 ish. Olny time it went up was in traffic. The stock gauge isnt never going to read right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JF-03-SS Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 i could be wrong here but when i put a lower temp t-stat in my ls1 camaro it needed to be put in the tune to compensate for it. not sure if that pertains to silverado ss's though You def. should tune for a 160* t-stat. Tuning for it will not change the operating temp it will just run rich if you don't tune for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 I'm curious why it would run rich if you don't tune for it? Closed loop comes in at 131 degrees and even if you were to be in open loop for some reason in all but the lowest vacuum the worst you may run into is 1 percent of extra fuel added and that's only if you can get it to run way less than 176 degrees and I mean like a true 160 or so. Even at that point which it wouldn't do, the most it would add would be 2 percent in open loop and none in closed loop. A 160 stat in an SSS will pretty much never run colder than 167 and will commonly run 172-174. These temps however is with well enough airflow to allow for that. The 03' and 04' SSS trucks were mechanical fan using a fan clutch to not be fully engaged until the air passing the clutch is something like 140 degrees air temp. I have this written down somewhere, but the point being only in cool air and with the a/c off will you see an SSS with a clutch fan run the 172 or so that the 160 stat will give you. Basicly in the summer time you won't see a whole lot of difference with a mechanical fan because they simply didn't design the mechanical fan to run hard down that low. The thing to think about with this though is that it does allow the natural air coming through the radiator to cool it more than dragging the motor down with the mechanical fan. Basicly whether you see it or not, the cooler stat is helping even when you don't realize it. On the trucks with e-fans they tend to run a bit cooler even when the fans aren't on based on design of how the air comes in. The mechanical will cool stronger only when the fan clutch kicks in full. The e-fans will also allow cooler runing since anytime you have the a/c on you will have at least one fan on and will likely just see 172-180 anytime the a/c is on. List: 03'-04' with mechanical fans still on it: Figure 185-194 in 90+ degree heat and 172-180 in 60 degree and less weather. 05' and up with e-fans: Tuned in you should never see more than 4 degrees higher than your highest fan setting. You don't want to run the fans all the time since it's a big waste of power to do that, is hard on the fans, and will just heat up the rest of the motor with the hot air coming off it. Just running down the highway though, figure 172-185 even in hot weather and 172 roughly in the cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 The guy i recently bought my truck from informed me at the time of sale that he had done the thermostat recently among other things. The truck always runs at 210 and sometimes a little over half on 90 plus days. Once or twice a month it will be running at 3/4 but the motor does not appear that hot. Sometime on warm days it will be running down at 170. My question is there a certain thermostat they put in the SS than the 5.3 ect silverados, could i have the wrong one or is this normal? I figured I'd answer yours seperately. You will want to check the fan clutch assembly. Yours is likely failing. I would check it before you hurt something. The 3/4 mark is seriously hot and can cause damage if you run it often like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1ss Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 03'-04' with mechanical fans still on it: Figure 185-194 in 90+ degree heat and 172-180 in 60 degree and less weather. Exact temps I get on my stock thermostat. I usually have the fan set on its lowest running cycle and 190 is the highest Ive got to, probably a couple degrees more. You nailed that on the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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