[mr0077]

Hey guys, my understanding of the T-stat is that it does two things: it helps the motor reach operating temperature quicker, (for longevity and efficiency in production cars, primarily), and it provides a restrictor to the coolant flow through the block, to promote pressure flow in the block and heads and to avoid localized hot spots or "steam pockets" in the motor. If your car wants to run at 210 with a 190 T-stat, changing to a 160 or taking the T-stat out will only make the engine take longer to warm up to 210; but, If the cooling system is working properly, the car will run at an acceptable temperature, or near T-stat temperature, whichever is higher. An interesting comment I once read was, if auto makers could figure out a way to get rid of the T-stat, there wouldn't be one on your production car...made sense to me. Hope this helps.