[BLT5103]

Back in 1987 when I bought my new Mustang GT I read 5.0 Mag where you could bump the hp by installing a K&N and installing a 160° thermostat to replace the oem 180° thermostat. The theory was that the computer would sense along with the introduction of more air via the K&N, water being circulated when the temp hit 160° v. 180°, thus allowing the thermostat to open sooner to cool things down before you hit 180°.

Today with the Bullit, and on this site I have not read where anyone is doing this. Is this still a viable mod, or has it been discussed earlier and I have not found/seen it? Does anyone know if this minor mod will help our Bullitts?

 

[llama_boy]

Try this thread:

http://www.bullittclub.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=2552&forum=2

 

[BLT5103]

Thanks so much for the thread as it is exactly what I was looking for. Too much good stuff on here for me to keep up with it all, so your information saved me some time.

 

[retromuscle]

BLT5103,

There is 2 schools of thought on the issue of 160 deg t-stats.

One is that the computer won't enter open loop mode if the car is too cold and 160 deg t-stat will keep the engine below normal operating temps. And that the car takes longer to heat up in the winter.

The other is that the "normal" operating temperature of a vehicle is reached at a temp lower than 160 deg. And that the temperature at which the thermostat opens has NO affect on the rate at which the engine heats up.

I attend the latter school :grin: It takes a car the EXACT same amount of time to reach 160 deg whether the t-stat is 160, 180, 195, or even 205! Will your heat get *as hot* with a 160 as with the stock 180? No, of course not. But it won't take any longer to get to that point.

And the computer enters open loop mode when the temps reach about 140 deg. (I'm not positive on this, so nobody crucify me with that number). I am going to check this weekend with Ford (my father-in-law has his own shop and has the complete 2001 Ford shop manuals in his office).

Someone in the linked thread mentioned about the reduced temps reducing pinging, and that it definately does. I used to run a 160 t-stat with Water Wetter (awsome stuff, btw) in my Impala SS and it LOVED the cold, even with 87 octane. And my heat always worked just fine :wink: :grin:

Hope this helps!

 

[BLT5103]

Thanks for the aditional info. I wonder though that with the Densecharger (introducing cooler air especially in the lower position) if the combination will have any posiitve impact. When I changed out my "87" air filter with the K&N it (the K&N)was installed in the factory air box, thus the ambient air it recevied was the same temp across the board as when I had the stock filter in.

When I made my changes to the "87" I did not notice any change in gas milege, as I continued to get about 25mpg highway @70-72 mph. I did notice however that when I put my foot into it around town the milege dropped one to two mpg.