good T stat temp for motor break in

[72moparswinger]

hey guys my 360 will be firing in a couple weeks for the first time and have to break in my new RV cam but the rest of the motor had 3 k miles on it. I got two t stats to choose from a 180 or a 195? car is not daily driven and will not be driven this summer during the hottest portion of the day as I get stuck at lights where i cruise

 

[EL5DEMON340]

I would use the 180. On break in it wouldn't be a bad idea to put a big box fan right in front of the radiator or grill. It will run hotter on break in

 

[RustyRatRod]

I use whatever thermostat I am going to run. Kinda like cam, pistons and everything else.

 

[AJ/FormS]

I use a restrictor washer and straight water, with the box-fan on stand-by. Ive had brand new stats stick on me. What a scramble! Its not so bad when it happens and the customer isnt around to witness it.But it sure doesnt look professional when he does witness it.Customers tend to panic at every little thing, and then the questions start. And the doubts. And fears about the future. And you cant really blame them. Theyre the ones with the money on the line. When everything goes right, they tell their friends, who tell their friends, etc. I leave the water in there, with an additive pkg, til at least the tune is getting close, and the engine has shown itself to not be prone to overheating.Sometimes hours, sometimes days. In mine I didnt run antifreeze for years.Not that it wanted to overheat.But after the 205/210*stat went in I felt that straight water was prudent.It makes pretty good power at that temp with 87E10.As we aged together(the engine and I), I eventually put antifreeze in her.Now shes like a middle-aged wife, maybe a little rough around the edges, but if you prod her a bit, still has a bit of go to her.lol
FWIW, unless you have a really really big cam and electric fans, a properly tuned engine and cooling system,will be very hard to overheat.

 

[BrianT]

car is not daily driven and will not be driven this summer during the hottest portion of the day as I get stuck at lights where i cruise

How long do you get caught at these lights?!? I could see your car overheating at a road construction or accident slow down, but you shouldn't be overheating at stop lights, I don't care how hot it gets there?

 

[Woods74]

Get in it and drive, warm it up, pound on it 3 times to top RPM then back down; fluctuate RPM's between gorilla pounds, then put it back in the stable, let it cool off overnight; do this 3 times.

Drive it. Don't pussyfoot it when you do this.

 

[69DARTS]

i run stant
or murry
160 in my duster

 

[72moparswinger]

Thanks all for the input just nervous as its my first time doing this. where i cruise when its 100 out on the asphalt. if i miss lights and have to wait for the entire cycle maybe 3 min total, when I had my 318 that sucker shot to 220 just in that time with a 19 inch fan and new oem 2 core and the car did not have a big cam. It always ran warmer than most 318s that were in my area that I knew about with a 190 stat. She liked clean air to cool down which she did real quick but never overheated. Im not going to run my heater lines cause I'm nervous that since it has the original core that it may start leaking on my new carpet with entire new cooling system. I drove her 318 motor for 3 years 7 days a week though and never broke down on me.
Ill buy a box fan for her, it'll fire next week, have to pull my valve covers to put oil over the valve train so i don't dry start them as this motor been sitting as money comes in to finish her finally

 

[Bulldozer]

Drop a 180 in a pan of boiling water, confirm it opens and closes, install and run it

 

[BrianT]

I would spend the $10 and buy this MP priming tool.

 

[pishta]

Whats up with all the cold stats? Thats murder on your cylinder walls. Look at a cylinder to temp wear chart. And on a break in, JHC, run a stat! You need it to heat up ASAP and stay warm. Fans ok, but no "hose in the radiator" nonesense.

 

[diymirage]

Get in it and drive, warm it up, pound on it 3 times to top RPM then back down; fluctuate RPM's between gorilla pounds, then put it back in the stable, let it cool off overnight; do this 3 times.

Drive it. Don't pussyfoot it when you do this.

for a cam break in?

really?