Hey guys,

Question about thermostats.... Does it matter if I buy a 160, 180 or 195. I have a stock 225cid L6 2BBL Aspen Wagon. Are there advantages or disadvantages and which one came stock with the car. I am replacing my water pump and I am taking all your advice from a previous post and replacing a lot of the cooling components.

Thanks

Wes

 

If you are going to drive the car in the winter, go with at least the 180. If its just for warm weather, the 160 would be ok but the 180 should be fine.

 

Wes -

Maybe. The lower the temp on the stat, the sooner water will flow through the radiator and begin cooling. Depending on where you live (avg temp) and how the engine behaves, you might want the temp to "normalize" sooner or later and hold a higher or lower temp. Once the stat is full open, you really can't get anymore cooling, so temps can rise, if more cooling is needed. (OK, it's a little more complicated that than, but that the reader's digest version.

Not too familiar with 225's , but the std routine is to start with a 180 and see if you need higher or lower.

Archer

 

I agree. I would start with the 180. Was that the stock one that came with the car?
If you can avoid it, don't use the 195. It burns up valves. Do you know if you have hardened valve seats?

 

Thanks for the replies.... RockAuto list the 195 as an OE replacement. Not sure about the other information, complete novice here. I think I will go with the 180, which they list as a replacement for mine

 

I would not go below 180, I don't even know why 160's are sold. Bear in mind that just about all automobiles came with 195 stats since smog gear was implimented, and there are/ were millions of cars on the road that ran millions of miles with no cooling trouble.