Thermostat

[01GeneralLee]

Hello
i need some help

Wich is the best thermostat for a 383 1968 charger

160º or 180º

Thanks

[tan top]

hello & welcome  , 

IMO 180 degree  , if you have aliminum heads , would fit a 160

[JB400]

Depends on which part of the world your in.  If your where it's real hot, you'd want the 160.  Everywhere else, I'd choose the 180.  180 is the norm.


Welcome to the group

[01GeneralLee]

Many thanks

the one i took out it says 195 to 45

i have edelbrock carburator and manifold

[JB400]

Was it getting too hot, or are you just asking to make sure you get the right one?

[01GeneralLee]

I took it out because it was closed, no water circulating
now i want to buy a new one 

[01GeneralLee]

before it went out of order some times to car did get to hot

[Cooter]

Need a picture of your engine/radiator/shroud/fan combo...Also, the aluminum water pump housings/closets from certain suppliers seem to cause your problems as well.

[John_Kunkel]

Choosing one or the other assumes that your cooling system has the capacity to maintain the thermostat's set temperature....from my experience most don't.  IOW, if you install a 160° thermostat there's no guarantee that the coolant temperature will rise to 160° and stay there, it will most likely rise well above that.

[tan top]

I took it out because it was closed, no water circulating
now i want to buy a new one 

before it went out of order some times to car did get to hot

Need a picture of your engine/radiator/shroud/fan combo...Also, the aluminum water pump housings/closets from certain suppliers seem to cause your problems as well.

yeah could be something else going on 

Choosing one or the other assumes that your cooling system has the capacity to maintain the thermostat's set temperature....from my experience most don't.  IOW, if you install a 160° thermostat there's no guarantee that the coolant temperature will rise to 160° and stay there, it will most likely rise well above that.

true , said 160 for aluminum heads , my thinking wanting full coolent flow soon as , 

[randy73]

Choosing one or the other assumes that your cooling system has the capacity to maintain the thermostat's set temperature....from my experience most don't.  IOW, if you install a 160° thermostat there's no guarantee that the coolant temperature will rise to 160° and stay there, it will most likely rise well above that.

160 degree thermostat is not supposed to keep a car at 160 degree's, it is supposed to let the coolant start to flow at 160. My vette had a 185, car ran 190 -210 all year, I would only use a 160 if I was racing or had race built engine, the idea is for the engine to get up to the proper temp as quickly as possible, but as others have said, you must have the cooling capacity or it does not matter which one you run.

[Paul G]

keep in mind that during very cold weather the engine wont get much above 160. That is not even fully warmed up. I would use a 180 unless the car never gets driven in cold weather.