I see many have them but I'm curious about not only the advantages but also the disadvantages.  Thanks for the input.

Essentially it keeps the car running cooler. Most likely it will play most benificial if you live in a hot area or dueing the summer months up north. Some people say that it may increase engine wear. This is on my list of things to do once spring comes around

It would be interesting to hear what Torrie or LMS has to say on the subject. Based on their different tunes, i.e. is it needed or required on LMS' 91 tune and their 93 tune. What about Torries similar tunes?

Quote from: 65460 on February 09, 2014, 06:44:33 PM
It would be interesting to hear what Torrie or LMS has to say on the subject. Based on their different tunes, i.e. is it needed or required on LMS' 91 tune and their 93 tune. What about Torries similar tunes?

Torrie has not mentioned needing a lower thermostat on any of his 2bar tunes.  FYI

regardless of the tune necessity I would think it should help with heat soak, and lower IAT's with a lower engine temps.

How is long term wear affected, what is the cause and what is affected?

One of the keys to tuning any engine, and especially boosted engines, is preventing knock or pre-ignition.  Heat alone can set off the combustion of the air fuel mixture (think diesel engines and glow plugs) before the spark plug goes off.  At the wrong location and time of the piston stroke the effects can range from the car pulling timing lowering performance to catastrophic engine failure.  If you compare a naturally aspirated engine and their boosted twin you will generally find a lower compression ratio on the boosted engine.  The more air is compressed the hotter it gets so the goal here is also preventing knock.  A lower thermostat can usually keep the overall operating temperature of the engine down.  This is also partly why lower intake air temperatures are a goal (the other being cooler air is denser, more air=more fuel=vroom).

The problem with all of that is emissions.  I believe the engine burns the fuel more completely at higher operating temperatures lowering emissions.  Since the engine is designed to run at these temperatures to meet emissions standards all of the sizing of the parts fitting together are designed around that temperature range.  Too cold and everything contracts causing slop between all the parts.  Too hot and the parts expand and won't fit together.  Expanded parts cause increased friction causing more heat causing increased expansion causing increased... until the engine seizes.  This is why you shouldn't put an engine under high stress until it has warmed up to operating temperatures.

So...
Normal Tstat
     parts fit together
     less emissions
     better heat in the winter

Lower Tstat
     part slop (can increase wear, oil blow-by piston rings? )
     greater emissions (but people delete cats from downpipes so...)
     lower heat in the winter
     ability to run more advanced timing
     denser air charge due to lower underhood temps

Now in reality I'm not sure the difference in temps between the two tstats will cause enough variance in part sizes to cause any problems.  People have definitely noticed lower air temps coming out of the vents when using the heater. 

You really should have a tune to run a lower tstat.  The ecm will throw a code if the engine doesn't reach the programed operating temperature in a set time frame.

I only ever heard the engine oil lubes best when it's at "normal" operating temperatures. That's why typicall you sholdn't see anyone put a cold engine / car on a dyno and beat on it. Yeah the numbers could be slightly inflated becasue the engine is cold but it's just bad practice to beat on a cold engine. I bet everyone knows that so that being said the thogught is cooler running temps the oil is not at hot. Personally I run Mobile 1 Fully Synthetic in my SHO but I don't think the engine oil temp difference in a 170* T-stat, or a stocker is enought difference to change anything. I bet you guys are also all running better oil too ?! Right ??

I beat the snot out of my supercharged / 100 shot NOS 03 Cobra engine with a Reische Performace lower t-stat. Never one problem and it worked great. Immediately saw the lower temps with no side effects. They are costly becasue they are built the proper way check out his website. I bought from him directly a few years back he'a a good guy and knows whathe doing with these things. I believe he supplies LMS etc with their 170* stats.

read up.....

http://reischeperformance.com/tstatinfo.html#anchor

My car with stock thermo runs 185 pretty steady.  Not changing mine.  Although most of you need to have something "new" to buy every month...  LOL

Don't know that I totally buy into extra wear on the 170 degree stat. I seem to remember 180 being stock temp a long time ago.....before pollution and 170 is not so far from that. It's easy for me to accept that 190 degrees is an emissions motivated mod.

Quote from: Needmoreboost on February 22, 2014, 10:11:48 AM
My car with stock thermo runs 185 pretty steady.  Not changing mine.  Although most of you need to have something "new" to buy every month...  LOL

I have considered the 170* thermostat becasue I live in south Texas so I think I could benefit from lower engine temps. I don't see how this would'nt help to some degree just about everyone though.

You guys can debate this till the cows come home. Its all meaningless unless someone has HARD data showing one way or the other.
Either Unleashed or LMS or someone else has to show before and after data before I would bother doing it

Quote from: 65460 on February 22, 2014, 02:22:22 PM
You guys can debate this till the cows come home. Its all meaningless unless someone has HARD data showing one way or the other.
Either Unleashed or LMS or someone else has to show before and after data before I would bother doing it

If it's in the tune you get you need to swap it.  The fans will be programed to come on at lower temps along with who knows what else.  If tune doesn't require it or you're stock I don't think i'd bother.

My fans seemingly run all the time. Trying to maintain the 170 but the cars runs at 185-190. Didnt have to OBD scanner before tune so cant speak on before temps.

Anthony at LMS says this normal as part of the tune triggers the fans at lower temp. He did say they can change that parameter maybe fans trigger sooner OR later.

My concern is the more frequent cycling of the fans. That 10 degrees, I dont believe it will make that much difference in anything. Cars designed with margins for error. So the cooler engine, cooler air and more power. Reports also show that synthetic oils cause the engine run cooler as well. And problems reported.

Quote from: Dxlnt1 on February 23, 2014, 09:06:35 PM
My fans seemingly run all the time. Trying to maintain the 170 but the cars runs at 185-190. Didnt have to OBD scanner before tune so cant speak on before temps.

Anthony at LMS says this normal as part of the tune triggers the fans at lower temp. He did say they can change that parameter maybe fans trigger sooner OR later.

My concern is the more frequent cycling of the fans. That 10 degrees, I dont believe it will make that much difference in anything. Cars designed with margins for error. So the cooler engine, cooler air and more power. Reports also show that synthetic oils cause the engine run cooler as well. And problems reported.

That's exactly where my coolant temps are with a stock stat.

So why would I do this?