Here is the deal my thermostat went bad on my integra last night. I have a few questions? I keep debating wether to by the Spoon or Mugen thermostat and fan switch. I know they operate at cooler temperatures but make the car warm up faster. Should i stick with Honda replacement or wait and buy the Spoon or Mugen set? Can harm be done by goin aftermarket? I have samco hoses so i know i can withstand the increases pressure and probably will buy a new rad cap. but any input would help thanks

 

Get the Honda thermostat and forget the low temp ones. The low temp ones open at a lower temp but they don't warm up faster. Actually, they delay warm up especially in cold weather. Think about it. Would it be faster to warm up the coolant in the block before opening the thermostat, or open the thermostat early and try to warm up the coolant in the radiator and the block?

 

The Honda engineers that designed our engines intended them to work best at a certain temperature range. Thermostat, fan, and ECU programming are all set to hold the engine inside of this optimal range. By deliberately lowering the coolant temperature without reprogramming the ECU all you will be doing is delaying or permanently preventing the engine from coming out of warm-up. It will run way-rich, affecting fuel economy and possibly ruining your catalytic converter as a consequence. Even if you do reprogram the ECU to exit warm-up at a lower ECT, it isn't going to help anything.