Thermostat and Fan switch needed?

[shebangs]

My engine is fairly moderately done now. Next is just internals, but I'm stepping back now and ensuring reliability (oil temp/pressure guages etc) but I want to know, for Street (she isnt tracked yet) are Mugen/Spoon Thermostat and Fan Switches a must have?

The other day after a rather quiet drive, I poped the bonnet to check oil level and it was ****en hot under there. ****en hot. Couldnt even touch the oil level stick. Water temp guage in the cluster was reading normal though.

Same goes with Oil cooling too. Oil Cooler, and Oil Sump (with the dividers..forgot the term) overrated?

[Mr_will]

this is often where people get silly and start putting scoops and all that sort of shaz-wazza on their cars.

i dont know exactly how hot your car was, but consider this - you dont drive your car hard (high revs/high load) when its cold. why? because the engine NEEDS to be warm to operate efficiently.
as long as your temp gauge moves to warm reasonably quickly, and doesnt wave around too much when youre driving, you dont have a problem.

having a low temp thermostat will cause your car to heat up more slowly, and if you make many short trips, will mean that you are driving when the engine is not fully warm, far more often. this is an excellent recipe for accelerated engine wear.

this goes for both water and oil temp. i would suggest installing the gauges, and watching over the course of a month or so, whether your temps are creeping up or not. is pretty unlikely for a n/a application that youd want an oil cooler.
the normal applications for these are turbo, towing or track.

a baffled sump prevents oil starvation from the pickup point under hard sweeping corners - not something you are likely to regularly encounter on the street.

however, there isnt really a downside to having a baffled sump, so if yours is out and you can do it easily, go for it.

[DLO01]

My engine is fairly moderately done now. Next is just internals, but I'm stepping back now and ensuring reliability (oil temp/pressure guages etc) but I want to know, for Street (she isnt tracked yet) are Mugen/Spoon Thermostat and Fan Switches a must have?

Without knowing your setup exactly. For street:

Low temp thermostat/fanswitch. Not needed.

Oil cooler. Not needed.

Baffel plate in sump. Not needed.

Guages are always a good thing to have, Water temp, Oil temp, Oil pressure.

[air23box]

Low Temp thermostate open up at 70 degree instead of factory 78 degree...fan switch is the same.....nth really affect ur car to warm up....but will keep it cooler at all time.....not a bad thing to have even your car only a daily one......
On normal street driving you dun need a oil cooler.....coz it hardly go over 100 degree anywayz....for mine when I drive daily it only go up to 90-95 max even I rev hard.....on track it go all the way up to 130+....so if you dun track ur car....save it for something else.....baffel sump you only need it when you track as Mr Will explain what it does.....just prevent ur engine can pump oil under high G cornering.....
Gauges are good things to have so you have all the important data you need at all time.....even daily.....you can compare the different reading when you drive differently....so you understand how ur car behave....hope that helps...

[TypeG]

[quote=air23box;1037861]Low Temp thermostate open up at 70 degree instead of factory 78 degree...fan switch is the same.....nth really affect ur car to warm up....but will keep it cooler at all time.....not a bad thing to have even your car only a daily one......
[quote]

very true... dun listen to ppl who say is useless which is totally WRONG

[shebangs]

Thanks, I think I'll go the guages and really monitor it for a week or two and see how quickly she does heat up.

Obviously, I may drive harder on the street than others, which may need be to get the thermostat and fanswitch, but that will be all be revealing with the guages. Atm, I got nfi how hot she is as Water Temp is semi useless.

[DLO01]

Type G, he is specifically asking if a cooler thermostat/fan switch is a "must have" and as you say, yes they are not 'useless' to have, but they are simply not needed for the street.

Stock cooling is fine for maintaining steady temps for street and engine will run more efficient at the stock temp compared to cooler temps with the cooler thermostat/fanswitch.

Pay near $200 for a thermostat/fan switch that is not needed = waste of money.

[TypeG]

Type G, he is specifically asking if a cooler thermostat/fan switch is a "must have" and as you say, yes they are not 'useless' to have, but they are simply not needed for the street.

Stock cooling is fine for maintaining steady temps for street and engine will run more efficient at the stock temp compared to cooler temps with the cooler thermostat/fanswitch.

Pay near $200 for a thermostat/fan switch that is not needed = waste of money.

they are not as "waste of money" as those Ray nuts and heavy rims as it does help SOMETHING. Cooler the engine, better performance.
If u talk about MUST HAVE, no mod is MUST have as stock standard car are already very safe to drive or else no stock car on the street.

[air23box]

hey guys....cool down.....lets share our knowledge and help someone.....you both have a point......but lower temperature is not such a big issue coz you are running on street...a few degree doesn't make much different.....you will only notice the different when you go on track......running at a few degree lower the stock have no bad affect what so even to ur car.....the only bad thing is when ur car running at temperature lower then normal then it will coz built up of carbon in the engine and reduce the efficience of ur car....but that won't happen when you do those mods....

[DLO01]

Good discussion all round. PQ points to most.

I also have a low temp themo/fan switch in the R only because its was something for me to do and also looking into the future for the car. It only gets out on weekends.

If it was an everyday street car (which I am glad its not. Gota take care of the R), I would not bother with cooler thermo/fan switch.

[shebangs]

I think some people are slightly confused with the definition of must have.

Air filter on your intake is a must have, doesn't need to be there but good luck with maintaining a healthy engine without one.

And the argument regarding 'stock' is slightly skewed, as you can see my car isn't stock. So although making the assumption stock cooling is fine, although isn't wrong, I think it's worthy keeping in mind that there will be a point it won't be sufficient.

Defininately, I agree, for track, definately oil cooler, baffled sump, thermostat, fanswitch are 100% - but my question is regarding spending that same ~$1500 on a street car.

[DLO01]

Your asking if a cooler thermostat/fan switch is a 'must have' for the street. Is this correct?

Even with your Modded NA car you will never maintain continuous high rpm and therefore high heat on the Street. Stock cooling will cope with ease. Even with my Turbo B16a with stock cooling it did not exceed the stock water temp values on the street.

Therefore:

Without knowing your setup exactly. For street:

Low temp thermostat/fanswitch. Not needed.

Oil cooler. Not needed.

Baffel plate in sump. Not needed.

Guages are always a good thing to have, Water temp, Oil temp, Oil pressure.