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Thermostats
Pontiac V8 Thermostats
Opens When It Should — Thermostats for Pontiac V8s
A thermostat does not just decide how warm the engine runs. It controls how fast coolant moves through the radiator, and a cheap one can be pushed around by coolant pressure at high rpm so it never opens when it is supposed to.
Butler keeps it simple here and stocks Mr. Gasket high flow performance thermostats in 160 degree and 180 degree ratings. Both use brass and copper construction and are built to open at their rated temperature regardless of engine speed.
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1. Why a performance thermostat
At high rpm, coolant temperature and coolant pressure fight each other for control of the thermostat, and a standard unit can be held off its rated opening point by that pressure. Mr. Gasket builds these balanced high performance thermostats to resist those pressure swings so the valve opens at its designed temperature no matter what the engine is doing. Both offerings use all brass and copper construction.
2. Choosing 160 or 180
There is no universal right answer, and the two lanes genuinely want different things.
| 160 degree | opens earlier and keeps a hard-run engine further from the edge on a hot day at the strip or on a big-inch build that makes a lot of heat. |
| 180 degree | the choice for a street car that needs to reach and hold normal operating temperature, keep the choke and heater working properly and burn off moisture in the oil. |
| Either way | a thermostat is not a cure for an undersized radiator or a tired water pump. If the car runs hot, fix airflow and circulation first; a colder thermostat only changes when the gauge starts climbing. |
3. What goes in with it
Plan on a fresh housing gasket or O-ring while you are in there, and check that the housing you are using actually clears the thermostat you chose. The billet housings Butler sells are built with the clearance for a thermostat and list compatibility with OEM and common aftermarket units, but a stock cast housing on a Tri-Power car is a different part entirely. Housings, water necks and O-rings are all in the Thermostat Housings and Water Necks section.
Not sure what your Pontiac needs?
Email our tech team at tech@butlerperformance.com. Tell us your engine, heads, car, and power goal, and we will put the parts together as one combination that works.