Re: ~ " Drill or not to Drill? " ~
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Liquifire
As I said before, this application isfor the sc cars only( I would see no point in lowering it on an NA car)....it will lower internal air temps just a tad...lower air temps equal the gains(think intercooler at a very small fraction of the gains) The actual lower cooling temps will do nothing for a motor power wise from a pure cooling standpoint of cooling the motor.
blowfish gets the idea and hit the nail right on the head.
Your engine moves so much air, when driving the way that you would be worried about power, the air is not in contact with the walls of the engine for long enough to change the temperature significantly. Sure, at very low rpms the temperature of air entering the cylinders would be slightly decreased by using a cooler t-stat. But anytime you are racing or reaching top end rpms, you are moving so much air that the temperature of the air entering the cylinders is going to be within a few tenths of a degree of the ambient temperature. Is this few tenths of a degree (if that) going to make a noticeable or measurable difference in the performance of your engine? Not at all.
You also have to realize what lowering the temperature of the engine is doing to the efficiency of the fuel it is burning. Just from the people in this thread, you can see your fuel mileage will suffer. And I have noticed the same thing by driving my car everyday over 100 miles. If you want to do your own research, search for efficiency of an otto cycle.
Also, the lower your coolant temperature, the lower the temperature of your oil is going to be. Generally, oil temperature is going to be a bit (usually 20-30°) higher than your coolant temperature at normal operation ranges. If you are running a 195° stat, the oil is getting hot enough to burn out the condensation (water) that develops in the oil. With a 180° stat, daily driving the car, the oil barely get hot enough to burn the water out (212° or higher since the oil is under pressure). A 160° stat is totally out of the question because the water will never get boiled out under normal circumstances. So think about what extra water will do to your bearings and piston walls when the oil doesn't get hot enough to get rid of it. Hint - Water is not a lubricant.
But as I said in an earlier response, colder t-stats work well when hot lapping at the drag track or on the dyno. But for daily driving on the street, a colder t-stat will only greatly decrease your fuel mileage and cause your engine to wear more.
