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A common belief is that a cooler running engine will reduce intake air temperature. The reality is that outside of idle, there is very little heat transferred from the engine to the intake charge. The mass of air moving across the incredibly small surface area of the intake ports is too large and too fast to allow for any large temperature transferance.
As a vehicle sits out overnight, you may notice condensation on the windows, hood, etc from moisture in the air. That same moisture ends up in the crank case as well. An engine that does not reach the manufacturers operating temperature will not as easily boil off that condensation, especially if only short trips are taken.
Here is some info to further whet your palate: Low Temp Thermostats: What’s the Advantage? | Tuner University
With a 160* thermostat, the average operating temperature of a GM engine is approximately 180*. With the OEM thermostat, it is around 199*. A few minutes on the dyno can quickly show temps above 210-220*, regardless of the thermostat. As long as intake air temperatures remain static, power output is static and sometimes even BETTER under the 210-220* range.
In short, keep your stock tstat.
As a vehicle sits out overnight, you may notice condensation on the windows, hood, etc from moisture in the air. That same moisture ends up in the crank case as well. An engine that does not reach the manufacturers operating temperature will not as easily boil off that condensation, especially if only short trips are taken.
Here is some info to further whet your palate: Low Temp Thermostats: What’s the Advantage? | Tuner University
With a 160* thermostat, the average operating temperature of a GM engine is approximately 180*. With the OEM thermostat, it is around 199*. A few minutes on the dyno can quickly show temps above 210-220*, regardless of the thermostat. As long as intake air temperatures remain static, power output is static and sometimes even BETTER under the 210-220* range.
In short, keep your stock tstat.
