Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't your engine run slower and you get less gas milage if you run it cooler (get a "sports" thermostat)? I'm just wondering because I saw this for sale and I was wondering why the hell would someone want to buy that?
-Spoon Sport Thermostat $80 shipped
Opens at an lower temperature to keep car cooler.

Thanks!

 

its better to run cooler, why would you want to run hot. Granted you have to be warmed up but you dont want to run hot.

 

I think an engine is less efficient the cooler it runs. I guess I really don't know why you would want to run it cooler when racing. Doesn't make any sense to me.

 

heres the only thing... They found out back in the late 70s (when engines ran at about 190-195F) that the hotter you get your engine, the more power you produce and the more milage you get out of it. So they started making Thermostats that opened at around 210 because that seemed to be about perfect. I see what your saying about the air flow needing to be cooler though...

 

Right, I think running a hotter engine is more efficient just because less heat gets transfered out of the combustion chamber. The greater the temperature difference, the more heat transfer. Of course, as tjstoner mentioned, the parts can only run so hot before they're prone to failure.

I don't understand why Spoon would sell a thermostat that runs the engine cooler. You would think they'd at least give an explanation....

 

For a stock engine it's really not needed.... It's when you start to go FI, or ALL MOTOR is when you would want to use one.


[Modified by 88_SC_CRX_Si, 10:49 AM 3/28/2002]

 

thank you, thats all i was stating, i wasnt saying that you wnat to run cold, but you definitely dont want to run to hot

 

I'm thinking the reason Spoon and Mugen created the thermostat was so that whenever your racing for a long periode of time the engine will create so much heat that it becomes unsufficient heat which will inturn blow a head gasket or maybe create even more damage to some parts of the engine. These thermostats that they created was meant for racing which could last several hours so these engines are under high stress unlike street engines. So I guess these thermostats are pretty useless for street, unless if your enthusiats who just has to have all Spoon or Mugen products. But I'm not really sure

Hmmm...it is kinda strange how they used to create more HP just by getting so hot in the engine. Maybe the heat created on those engines were extreme to the point where the engines could handle them.