Does this sound right?

[HIGHOCTANE]

2004 Mustang Cobra
Thermostat, Engine Cooling
Starts to open 80-83°C (175-182°F)
Fully open 104°C (219°F)

This is according to Alldata, is this correct? Does it make sense for the thermostat to not be fully open until 219°F. Seems kind of high to me??

-Rod

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

No one has any input? Does any one know if it is common for a stat to have such a wide range between starting to open and fully open? :shrug:

-Rod

 

[BWH2003]

Usually a thermostat will be wide open anywhere from 180 to 200 degrees. Typically with gm cars its 195 degrees. 219 is quite hot for it to open. Are you sure thats the right number?

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

Usually a thermostat will be wide open anywhere from 180 to 200 degrees. Typically with gm cars its 195 degrees. 219 is quite hot for it to open. Are you sure thats the right number?

See that is what is was thinking. I copy and pasted that from the ALLDATA website so I am not sure if it is accurate or not, so far I haven't found any other discrepancies in ALLDATA to make me think that the info isn't generally accurate but I wouldn't stake my life on it. I do know that when I get home I will be testing mine.

-Rod

EDIT- I have confirmed that the part number listed in ALLDATA is correct, more evidence that the info might be accurate??

 

[BWH2003]

I guess it all depends on how much coolant the thermostat flows. Say a thermostat fully open on a particular car flows half the coolant our cars do half open. That would be a case where being fully open at 219 would just help the car cool down even quicker due to increased fluid flowing out of the motor. I dont know if that is correct but it could be once possible idea as to why they have the thermostat set at that temp fully open.

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

I guess it all depends on how much coolant the thermostat flows. Say a thermostat fully open on a particular car flows half the coolant our cars do half open. That would be a case where being fully open at 219 would just help the car cool down even quicker due to increased fluid flowing out of the motor. I dont know if that is correct but it could be once possible idea as to why they have the thermostat set at that temp fully open.

I guess that is a possibility, just seems odd to me, if it is such a great idea you would think we would have heard of it before. I have tested several thermostats in the past, it has been awhile but IIRC they are usually fully open at the rated temp. I know I have heard that our thermostats are a different design that what most are used to seeing. Regardless I can't say I have personally pulled mine and looked at it but giving the cooling issues I am not too confident that it will flow more coolant for a given pecent of opening than a normal style thermostat. I know most of the cooling issues are related to the head but I can't see the benefit of a thermostat that doesn't fully open until 219. Can someone with some insight explain? :shrug: