Make thermostat open cooler

[seang]

I seen some Nismo thermostats, they were expensive (at least to my broke a**). I also found a 140 degree farenheight Mercruiser thermostat for like 20 bucks, but I'm not sure that one would even fit. The real reason I did this over trying the Mercruiser t-stat is not because of the uncertainty of fitment, but because I'm literally that broke. I also have a bunch of tools and the time to monkey around with stuff like this.

So I took the thermostat out of my ka24e, and modified it to open at a cooler temperature. I did this by cutting part of the main spring out of the unit. I also added a few washers to under the retainer of the smaller spring that helps open the unit.

It worked, alright, but it worked too well. In a fit of zealousy I cut too much out of the main spring, and it doesn't close all the way (but almost), so it starts to open at like 80 degrees farenheight.

My goal was to have it start to open at like 122 degrees farenheight, and be fully open at about 145 degrees farenheight. I can't disassemble the main body to replace the large spring, but I will try this again with another thermostat someday. I'm pretty sure I can nail my target temp.

In the meantime, I have a piece of cardboard lined on both sides with black duct tape that I put behind the grille on cold days to keep the temp normal. I like to see the meter just touching the line for normal range, it seems to run best there, (I think that's about 140 degrees).


Modified by seang at 7:25 AM 11/7/2009

[Dattebayo]

Can you split that up into paragraphs and add some punctuation please?

[anti_flag_army]

The stock gauge isnt a very good way of measuring your temps other than you arnt overheating. If you are this concerned about temps buy a real gauge.

Also, why do you want it to open that early? you know you can have it run too cold.

[seang]

Yeah, a numbered gauge would be the most ideal.

I know that it could operate too cold, but I really feel that 140 degrees farenheight coolant temp is the best for the ka24e. It's relatively underpowered by todays impossibly high standards (which aren't going to get much higher IMO), so any little bit of improvement counts.

170 degrees just seems too hot to me, the engine loses it's raspy little attitude when it gets that hot, and I haven't had any problems running it cooler. There is a threshold where any cooler just doesn't do any better, and I think that threshold is about 140 degrees farenheight. The factory thermostat, IMO, is such that it reduces emissions, not necessarily to increase performance or engine response.

Certainly, some engines are more sensitive than others to this kind of employment, but the ka24e is pretty much agricultural if you ask me, and I haven't had any siezed pistons or anything like that.

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Um...you aren't getting any kind of performance benefit with a cooler thermostat. If anything you are increasing the wear on your engine.

[Tech_In_Training]

why not take the washers out of the other side? or get a new thermo and try again?

Also im pretty sure you dont want the engine running that cold, most cars run around 200 degrees F. It's the intake air you want to be cold.

colder air = denser air = more oxygen in the same space = able to burn more fuel = more power... its all about stoichiometry

The engine itself should be nice and hot so the oil stays thin and everything runs smoothly. Manufacturers program their cars to run hot.

And if it gets too cold in the combustion chamber the fuel will start to condensate back into a liquid and burn unevenly, giving bursts of power and periods without power, or just not burn at all and get dumped out with the exhaust.

[PEZi]

i'm extremely biased towards running cool cause mine isn't a DD... on the hottest day in the summer just running around town mine would sit just touching the line of normal operating temp.... even on the highway or at the track it will not get to the 'middle range' that most cars are set to run at... but this being said... for a DD you should have it run at the manufacturer's designated temp... the only time i could see a colder thermostat being good on a DD is for a turbo car cause those like to get hot quick under boost

[OutToWinPAHC]

I am all for drilling T-Stats for circulation and pressure relieve but what your doing is kinda iffy.

For 45 bucks the Nismo unit is tried and true and was engineered and tested.

[Razi]

I am all for drilling T-Stats for circulation and pressure relieve but what your doing is kinda iffy.

For 45 bucks the Nismo unit is tried and true and was engineered and tested.

And 140 is too cold for the KA.On a normal day with my KA-T, when I have no thermostat, I'm at around 150 from normal driving, which is still cold in my opinion.Trying to run a constant 140 is not a good idea.

I like to see the meter just touching the line for normal range, it seems to run best there, (I think that's about 140 degrees).

The moment the needle touches the middle area for "normal", the temperatures range from around 150 to 180.The stock gauge is worthless for figuring out the temperature, get a real gauge.
Modified by Razi at 2:59 PM 11/7/2009

[seang]

I thought the nismo one was more than 45 dollars, but that's great if it isn't. Check out this expensive Nismo... http://www.ultimatez.com/shop/?shop=1&itemid=1069 165 dollars! That's alot of money.

The thermostat I modified opens and closes just fine with no concern of malfunction. To call it a cobble job negates it. The modifications are not radical at all, just simple spacing and careful coil cutting. I just cut too much of the spring this time.

But I'm sick of messing around with it for now. We will see if the lower temps ever hurt anything. Some people tell me it's gonna ruin the engine, and some old guys say it won't hurt anything. I'll let you know if anything out of the ordinary occurs as only time will tell. Thanks for all of your advice/concern/replies.

[OutToWinPAHC]

http://www.mynismo.com/products/?id=2573

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

You don't need an expensive "Nismo" Tstat anyways...they offer cheap OEM stats in various temp ranges. All in all...you should feel silly for attempting to modify your car in such a fasion...