The ones I use are the replacement. They seem to last a good time. It might have said Stant on the package.

Sometimes you have to drill a small hole on the rim , to reduce cavitation.

 

Maybe, depends on the application. On a boat or race car that spend the majority of its time at high RPM and under full load, then yes.

For a street car, not so much but there isnt any significant downside to having one.

 

You will ony see a difference if your car has a tendency to overheat. The thermostat is designed to restrict flow to maintain a specified temp. It should not allow any more flow than that temp requires OR your temp will go down and you have a faulty thermostat.

Btw in my experience drilling a few small holes will lower your operating temp by a few degrees- when you do that you are in effect flowing more than the thermostat was designed to allow because you are bypassing it. I still drill the holes though- prevents air pockets from forming behind the tstat.

 

If your water pump to engine block has two holes on the passenger side, the block has a factory thermostat by-pass passage and drilling holes in the thermostat is not necessary.

 

Thank you all for your help.
Certainly appreciate it.

 

lots of race cars just use a restricter in stead of a thermostat

 

No, unless the thermostat has failed to open cooling problems reside elsewhere.

Bogie

 

Sometime they can help in one way and make it worse in the other way. I used a high flow 180 once in my mild build and it would always work pretty well and kept my engine running about 190 on really hot days sitting in traffic and had no problems there until it got colder out and during the winter months it would run way too cold down the highway and run only about 160ish which is way to cold. And then using a oem stat regardless of temperature still makes my idle get a little too hot if it sits and idles for an extended period of time but for the most part the best results I currently have is with a stant oem 180 degree replacement thermostat and it pretty much runs 190 in town and highway and even when its colder out it pretty much stays the same. I also once used a stant superstat and it was the worst of all of them and for some reason the supterstat did not work as good as the oem style. It would not open up properly to allow the correct amount of flow. Your cooling system and airflow through the radiator will also effect things.

 

Some of them like the Milodon open differently as well. They turn to open. This can make them better if you are running without a heater core or bypass to combat pressure against the thermostat opening.
I was experiencing wild swings in temperature on my T-Bucket due to internal cooling system pressure. the high flow solved it

 

I had an experience similar to Eric32. The 180 degree thermostat on my mild Olds 350 stuck in the open position so engine never warmed up. Tried a hi-flow Mr. Gasket (180 temp) and car didn't get above 170 degree in mild to cool weather (below 70 degree).

Then tried a Stant 180 degree thermostat and car temp holds right at 180 unless outside temp is in the 90's, then it might climb to 185-190.

Car has a Walker radiator and Cooling Components electric fan/shroud that seldom runs as long as the car is moving.

John