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View Full Version : stock vs nismo thermostat issue with gauge.


MikeIsAbstract
03-18-2010, 08:45 AM
info.
i got an s13.
i have a koyo rad, new gmb water pump, new coolent i'd say 60 water/40 coolent (i live in florida)
my current t-stat locked up so i gutted the middle and put the housing back in so it's unrestricted.

(i know this is bad. i know my engine isn't cooling off because when i'm idle the gauge goes up. when i drive it goes down. knowing that when the water isn't flying through my piping my engine has time to cool off and transfer heat to the fluid. right now i get pretty bad gas mileage.)
(regardless my car runs strong as hell, but prolly swimming with fuel lol)

well my problem is i'm going to turbo my ka. and people say it's a good idea to get a colder nismo t-stat vs stock. my problem is in the mean time will the colder nismo t-stat get my car to operating temp eventually or will my temp gauge be under half way near the cold mark. (right now it doesn't move unless i'm stopped at a red light with no fans on for like 5 min)

as it is right now i just have the housing and ripped the guts out of my old t-stat. my car temp gauge hardly moves and i know it's not good, plus my gas mileage is poo. with the colder nismo t-stat, if it opens up earlier, will it just take longer to get to "normal" operating temps, or in a daily drive scenario it would actually still be under cooling my car with to much flow to early?

if the nismo t-stat will flow to much and cause my car to not be at proper running temps, so i can get better gas milage and less wear, then i'll stick with stock.

but unlike having basically no thermo (my current set-up) will it just be cold momentarily and as i "casually" drive things will warm up like normal, but just take a tad longer??... ( will i get to running normal temperature in which my gauge tells me everything is fine and my gas mileage go back to normal)

whats the case. i really would like to get the colder t-stat but if it's going to cause my car when i'm "not" drifting to "still be in the cold" and horrible gas mileage i rather not.

i know stock is solid, but i rather not have to buy two.

i didn't read anything about peoples temp gauges going to normal with a nismo thermo installed. with stock i know it's half way. will this be true with nismo? just would take longer is what i'm thinking but if it's for specific racing coniditions and not branded good for a turbo'd daily driver who wants to save on gas then i'll go with stock....

also. forgot to mention is if the "running richer because of the engine being slightly cooler" is the case, (i'm saying slightly cooler such as the 12 or so degrees the thermostat will offer me), does a rom tune like enthalpy of jwt adversely fix/affect gas mileage once i'm turbo'd or would i still have the presets to run richer when colder with their tunes. this last question would be viod obviously if the nismo themro does in fact get me to normal operating temps eventually in which i'm most concerned about as currently i can't make the needle move unless i WANT to blow my engine.

jonnybonds84
03-18-2010, 09:01 AM
I have a Nismo on my rebuilt KADE and the gauge still goes where it use to be, that gauge is really inacurate. But I kinda had the same problem with the temp going up when I was on idle but it was the water pump taking a dump.

MikeIsAbstract
03-18-2010, 09:58 AM
k so we all 100% sure it goes to normal with the nismo everyone?

MikeIsAbstract
03-18-2010, 01:07 PM
a simple yes/no from anyone confirming and i'll be good. just want the hive mind to agree here is all.

unstoppable
03-18-2010, 01:12 PM
An oem thermostat is ideal for street cars, a nismo thermostat is ideal for a race car or an engine that is going to be continuously beat on.

Jlrios18
02-24-2012, 10:42 AM
How is the GMB water pump?

Pinggg
02-24-2012, 10:47 AM
Get nismo or ISIS, i have had both, they both look identical and work great too!

codyace
02-24-2012, 10:48 AM
Just run stock thermostat, and also get an aftermarket water temp gauge.

theboy
02-24-2012, 11:17 AM
Or solve your problem and throw the stock clutch fan on with the shroud. I ran my ka-t without a t-stat for 2 years and never over heated it. Beat the piss out of it almost everyday at 13 psi. Stock bottom end no oil cooler, just a pbm swirl system.

landins13
02-24-2012, 11:29 AM
2 year old thread...

codyace
02-24-2012, 02:30 PM
Or solve your problem and throw the stock clutch fan on with the shroud. I ran my ka-t without a t-stat for 2 years and never over heated it. Beat the piss out of it almost everyday at 13 psi. Stock bottom end no oil cooler, just a pbm swirl system.

Stock fan and shroud isn't the magical answer either, but will work better then a hacked E-fan setup.

2 year old thread...

But still relevant as the question does get asked frequently. At least it's prove they searched.