Question for Jeff K.....

[John Schmidt]

Jeff, you posted a few weeks back that you were looking for a t-stat that had a wider opening, thereby passing more coolant at full open. Yesterday, returning from Lakeland and running near 75 mph most of the way back to Orlando, my temp gauge was reading 200 degrees. One thing to remember, the outside temp was in the upper 90's, was 98 riding through Winter Park toward home. I have a 165 t-stat in there now and normally it will peak out at 180-85 if I'm running hard....but not 200.

So, wondering if you've found a good substitute that will help the bike run a bit cooler. It's never run this hot before, even in summer.

[98valk]

Jeff, you posted a few weeks back that you were looking for a t-stat that had a wider opening, thereby passing more coolant at full open. Yesterday, returning from Lakeland and running near 75 mph most of the way back to Orlando, my temp gauge was reading 200 degrees. One thing to remember, the outside temp was in the upper 90's, was 98 riding through Winter Park toward home. I have a 165 t-stat in there now and normally it will peak out at 180-85 if I'm running hard....but not 200.

So, wondering if you've found a good substitute that will help the bike run a bit cooler. It's never run this hot before, even in summer.

once a stat is fully open it has nothing to do with cooling. cooling will then be a result of anti-freeze type, % to H2O and condition, radiator size and type and the ambient airflow.

[John Schmidt]

Yes, except.....if a t-stat has a slightly wider opening than others, then all other things being equal you will get more liquid flow through the vanes of the radiator. More flow through the vanes will cause a cooler liquid. Cooler liquid=cooler engine. Regardless of all the scientific reasons to the contrary, I've done it more than once with engines back when I was running on the strip. The only thing that was changed was the t-stat, changed to one that had a slightly wider opening. The coolant mix was unchanged, the temp rating of the t-stat was unchanged....nothing but the stat itself. The engine ran cooler because more liquid flowed through the system when the stat was wide open. Not a huge amount cooler, but enough to make a difference.

Sometimes I find that personal experience is better than all the charts in the world.

[Jeff K]

I did find one that has the high flow orifice like the OEM. But... I couldn't come up with one in 165 degrees.
The Stock valk stat has an orifice considerably larger than the auto equivalent part.

Let me look up the numbers. I'll get back to you.

I had a heck of a time with cooling this trip. I could keep it around 200-210 as long as my speed was under 70mph. If I pushed it any higher the temp would climb to 220-230.

This was when the ambient was in the mid to upper 90's

I am so tired of this cooling issue I actually thought about parting out the bike and buying another stock bike.
 

[Jeff K]

I found the old post...

The verdict is in for me. The Duralast 15868 is the way to go for a replacement thermostat. It has the same size port, and opens much farther than my stock unit, though my stock unit has been used.
It's a 180 degree. It's supposed to have 50% more flow than the stock 143-0687 unit.

[John Schmidt]

Thanks Jeff, changing it out is a PITA but should be worth the effort. In the past I've found if the engine temp is running well above stat rating, it helps to get one that has/allows more flow when fully open. I just don't like running that hot when the fan comes on in another 20 degrees.

I just checked my stash, the 143-0687 is what's in there now. Guess I'm headed to Autozone for the Duralast. I also found the replacement gasket is Fel-Pro #25565.  Made for a Volvo 4 or 6, fits fine.

[Jeff K]

Thanks Jeff, changing it out is a PITA but should be worth the effort. In the past I've found if the engine temp is running well above stat rating, it helps to get one that has/allows more flow when fully open. I just don't like running that hot when the fan comes on in another 20 degrees.

I just checked my stash, the 143-0687 is what's in there now. Guess I'm headed to Autozone for the Duralast. I also found the replacement gasket is Fel-Pro #25565.  Made for a Volvo 4 or 6, fits fine.

I'll have to check out that gasket. the one I have listed on my Generic page isn't a real good fit.

[TJ]

John, you must have been an engineer in a past live...   

[John Schmidt]

John, you must have been an engineer in a past live...   

Naw, I was a general, name was Napoleon. I was also quite a bit shorter back then so carried a big stick....that's the reason I always had my hand in my shirt.   

[98valk]

has the accurancy of the gages and senders been checked?  In my field of work, switches/sensors are calibrated every yr and gages every 3 yrs.
My autometer gages are still accurate after 5 yrs, comparing the readings to what is specified in the tech manual.
The FAQ also mentions a ground wire can also cause false readings.

http://www.autometer.com/tech_faq_answer.aspx?sid=1&qid=57

[John Schmidt]

has the accurancy of the gages and senders been checked?  In my field of work, switches/sensors are calibrated every yr and gages every 3 yrs.
My autometer gages are still accurate after 5 yrs, comparing the readings to what is specified in the tech manual.
The FAQ also mentions a ground wire can also cause false readings.

http://www.autometer.com/tech_faq_answer.aspx?sid=1&qid=57

CA....mine are Autometer also, the C2 series. The only accuracy check I've made since installing them has been a couple times I steal my wife's candy cooking thermometer from the kitchen. I stick it in the coolant and it matches every time. Candy tastes pretty lousy the next couple of batches though. 

Seriously, that's the approach I've used a few times and both the gauge and thermometer match within a couple degrees. You have to be careful when removing the radiator cap obviously, but it works.

[Earl in Pensacola]

I too have Auto-Meter gauges, both volts and temp. Both installed about 10 years ago and have worked perfectly.  The way I checked my temp. gauge was to see if the fan came on at 212 degrees (per the manual) and it does.  The volt meter reads 14.1 at anything about idle.