Vortec Thermostat Experiment

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L31MaxExpress

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That’s what I was thinking. Something on the heater circuit just to circulate, the blower motor is a good idea, my thought was the auxiliary “condenser fan” that’s optional on our trucks if you were running a mechanical rad fan. The turbo timer could be implemented easily on a daily driver too…
If you have an 0411 PCM the fan can be set to run post shut-off.
 

Pinger

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Thanks for sharing your finds from this experiment, I’ve wanted to test stats for better fuel economy. Higher temp more complete burn?
Any fuel economy gains from running at higher temp are due to lowered heat loss from the combustion chamber to the coolant (because of the reduced temperature differential).
that same thought process brought about the idea of an electric water pump hooked to a turbo timer (or at least an auxiliary water pump so your main source of cooling isn’t an electronic component) to reduce or prevent heat soak.
Not seeing why heat soak is an issue. It's the engine giving heat to the coolant so the engine is still cooling and the heat that was there didn't cause harm before and won't with the engine shut down. Localised boiling perhaps but it will be short-lived and harmless.
Different for turbos where the heat soak can carbonise the stagnant oil in its bearings but there's no such critically hot bearing in the engine and none in close proximity to the coolant jackets anyway.
 

L31MaxExpress

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I see they also make a 2065180.
If I had iron heads, I definitely would have used it. The 195F stat, 11:1 static, 9:1 dynamic, 13:1 afr, 32° timing and 91 octane did show a brief 3-4° of knock retard on a WOT uphill pass and a couple other brief knock retard events lugged down uphill. The timing retard was showing up with the engine around 205-207F when it was working pretty hard uphill. Other than that it cruises along nearly effortlessly. I will pull 1 degree of timing out of the coolant table at 194F and 2 degrees out at 203F and above over what it pulls stock, then retest. I am pulling it out of the coolant spark compensation table because it runs 32 degrees just fine at 176-180F. No reason to neuter the engine all the time for something that only shows up when it is hot. Also if you do not see a little detonation while dialing in the engine you either have the tune super conservative giving up power and efficiency or a dead knock sensor. I did not check the mileage other than what the mathematical equation I wrote in the HP Tuners scanner showed which is fairly accurate. After 30 miles it was showing 18.96 average. I was driving the back roads out by my mom's house in the Possum Kingdom/Graham, TX area. The roads are windy, hilly, wash boarded, and just poorly maintained. I also had a pretty strong 10-15 mph frontal crosswind for half the trip that was noticeable in the steering. Its hard to judge the mileage on them compared to nice flatter interstate.
 
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L31MaxExpress

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@L31MaxExpress I guess they don't make a robertshaw style thermostat for the vortec? I was looking for one for my LT1 project this winter but no luck....
I wish they did. I have used that design on several other SBC engines including my old TPI that was in my G20. Technically one would fit a Vortec and I have run one in a Vortec. However without the lower bypass blocker ring on the thermostat the vortec will run hotter on a hot day from the bypass coolant bypassing the radiator. In cooler climates having the bypass continually circulating coolant helps stabilize the coolant temperature by continually recirculating hot water into the water pump to preheat the ice cold radiator coolant. Where you are in Canada it might actually work out better.
 

tayto

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i am west coast just above washington state, about 3 hour drive north of Seattle. winters are mild here lots of rain,not very cold unlike the rest of the country
 
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