170 Thermostat found

[sunburnedaz]

Interesting results. How would you characterize your commute  - more highway than city? Lots of stop and go or continual movement? I've thought the fan is most beneficial at rest and wouldn't add value once moving at some reasonable speed. Do you agree or is the fan helping even at speed?

Prior to your post I've wondered if using the thermo-switch with lower thresholds would often have the fan on at speed. I thought that would be redundant but maybe not?

Almost all highway. Running 8K+ down the hot tarmak. 1/4 of a mile from my house to the freeway. Then 15+ miles of 80 MPH then 2 miles of back roads into my office where the bike is sometimes not enough metal to trigger sensors and the waits become unusually long. I would have agreed with you about it being redundant at highway speeds but now I dont think so. Their may not be enough free airspace behind the rad to allow free air flow though the rad itself. Kind of the same thing that happens with the tailgate on the truck being up and causing a slightly higher pressure bubble to keep the wind out of the bed of the truck.  I am also wondering if having the Rad tilted so that the fins are not 90* to the incoming air flow might have something to do with it. That might be my next test. Make some brackets to get some free air behind the rad and move it so that it is close to 90* to the incoming air flow.

[Rikugun]

I've wondered about the radiator spacing myself. Proximity to the heads and exhaust don't help either although other bikes with similar architecture fare OK. I like your thoughts on altering the rad's "angle of attack". I guess you have to consider fender clearance with collapsed suspension when moving the bottom edge forward?

This thread has inspired me to do something so thanks to the OP vls150 and for your input. I'm going to start with the manual fan override - something I should have done already. I'm taking a weekend trip on the bike in about a month and it will be a good opportunity to note the fan's effects under different conditions. I'm also going to install a monitor light to tell me when it's on regardless of temp or manual switching.

[RedBaron]

I found a direct replacement thermostat to help things run a bit cooler (or at least until heat soak gets you).
Nextday auto has them.  P/N is: W0133-1634599

Nissan Sentra 1.6 in the 90's uses the same P/N so you can try the local parts store too.

I'm testing fan thermo switches as well and will start a post when I find the right one.  I think I found a solution, but it's too early to tell.  It's specs are 185f/176f.

I have an OEM original in the box! NEW! "The real thing".