[T-Cut]

Originally Posted by pletevl

Does this mod stress the system / engine in any way? as in long distance driving, or towing, or high speed driving?

There's no reason why it should and the mod has been around a long time now. Any long term or long distance effects would have shown up before now. In broad terms, it benefits the engine by running it at the correct temperature. Low temperature running is considearbly more detrimental.

Here I have a choice of temperatures, 83°c, 86 and 89. Which one should I go for?

Anything in the 88-92C range is optimal.

And which brand out of FAE, FACET, first line and VALEO?

Over the years this mod has been discussed, it's clear that some brands work better than others. This may be from various factors, but one important property is water-tightness when closed. Any significant bleed-through (a large air release hole/valve for example) reduces the running temperature quite significantly. There's a small list of brands that are known to work well - Gates, FirstLine, Wahler. I've no doubt others may be fine too, but they simply haven't been recorded on the forums.

EDIT: It may be worth considering that most washing up liquids will contain sodium chloride (salt), which is a well recognised corrosive for aluminium and ferrous metals. There may or may not be a need to add a lubricant for installing the stat into the hose. Water alone is a good lube for rubber. You might also consider glycerine or even antifreeze conentrate (ethylene glycol). Something like Swarfega is better than Fairy Liquid (IMO of course).



TC