Do I really NEED to put a 160stat in my truck? Turbo truck btw

 

my 160 runs 176 all day long...it's better than 200 with the 180

 

Same here but 174

 

So do I NEED it? I know it helps get more horsepower but is it a necessity?

 

Good question but try to find the only shoe that fits. I am running the stock thermostat and it seems to do fine. I had a 160 in my stock motor and it did fine as well. It still burnt a piston! On my truck the 160 would run almost as hot as the stock thermostat on a hot day, a limit of the cooling system itself, but ran around 175-180 most of the time. It is a safety measure to keep the heat in the engine down a little to add a little protection against detonation. It depends on the boost level you intend to run, local ambient temperatures, your I/C, heat soak from sitting, towing and the length of time you will see WOT or high boost.

So you don't have to have one. You are best able to judge the value of installing a 160* thermo based on your application and goals. If you monitor your operation with a scan tool, on a regular basis, you will have more data to base a decision on.

My truck ran great with one. It gets cold here in the winter and I never found heat in the cab to be a problem with a 160 installed but some people do. Not sure why? As to the effect, on the long term life of the engine from running it cooler or on gas mileage, I am not sure.