I'm going to put a new thermostat in my 94. While waiting in my car for my kid after school I was flipping through the owners manual and was shocked to see that the recommended thermostat is a 180F part. i can't remember the last time I saw a 180 F t-stat recommended.

I checked RockAuto and also the Camaro parts pdf file and both show a 195 is the right one.

With the goofy cooling system on this car (fan comes on at such a high temp) I'm wondering if a 180 t-stat wouldn't be better.

Anyone know for sure what's going on here? Was the original part a 180 and them changed to a 195? Just curious about other 3.4 owner's experiences.

 

The engine is designed to run hot, and changing t'stats won't change the temp when the fans come on. For reasons of fuel economy, pollution control, and longer routine maintenance schedules, most modern engines are designed to run hotter than the older ones.

 

Thanks, Pete, I pretty much understand the theory. I was just surprised that the owners manual called for a 180 t-stat in the first place.
Seeing how hot this 3.4 runs (at least inthe warmer months) I think I'll install a 180 t-stat as a test for a few months. The engine will warm up just as fast but maybe it will stay in the "no fan zone" longer. We'll see...

 

I am reporting back on my experiences after installing a Stant Superstat 180 back in November.

As I expected I saw no difference in temp gauge or cooling fan behavior during the rest of the winter and spring. Engine warmup time, which was horribly long with the old 195 stat remained horribly long with the new 180 stat.

I was hoping that the old part was weak and letting some coolant pass when the engine was cold but that doesn't seem to have been the case. I'm guessing that warmup time is so long due to the throttle body warming setup and the maze of hoses/pipes for the heater system.

It takes a mile or two for the 'maro temp gauge needle to come off its peg and heater output to be detectable. That's a long mile or two in January. I guess I'm spoiled by my other daily driver, a 24 YO Benz 300E, which automatically turns on the heater blower and starts putting out heat literally 3 blocks from my house. It's pretty amazing.

Anyway, with the heat wave currently hammering SE PA I do see different temp gauge behavior on my car. During around town slow speed driving the temp does stay lower (just below the halfway mark) and during extended highway driving the needle even drops a little below that. In stop-and-go traffic, however, there's no that much difference and the fan does cycle a lot.

I think I'll hook up my scan tool today and see what the operating temp really is.