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Thermostat

606 views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  JimC 
#1 ·
Okay, I know what a thermostat does, but why would a person want to run their truck without one? Is there some benefit, or does it hide a more sinister problem???

The reason I ask, I replaced my water pump and decided to do the works, new hoses, thermostat, etc. When I removed the water outlet, there was no thermostat. The previous owner apparently did not feel the need for one.
 
#2 ·
In colder parts of the country, a thermosat is nice for getting the heater to work quickly.
In the early days of the automobile, there were no thermostats. It's not always agreed on that running without a thermostat is a bad thing. The coolant flow rate in and out of the radiator is about the same when the thermostat is installed and fully open.

Some emission parts are designed to operate based on the coolant temperature, and newer fuel injected engine ECM's are calibrated to do certain things based on coolant temperature. I'm figuring because you live in a warmer part of the country, the heater is not much of an issue. I do wonder about the emission laws in your area?

dave
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the info. I don't know about emissions laws here, only been here a year, and didn't have to get any kind of inspection to register.
I put in a thermostat and the temp gauge actually registers. It used to never get above 150, now its at 200.
It does get cold enough for the heater here sometimes.
 
#4 ·
In this modern age of "thermocouples" and such. We actually find that engines run hotter without thermostats, but the real problem lies in the fact that some parts of the engine are not cooled properly and reach dangerously high temps for the engine. Mostly in the quench areas around the cylinders. Some of the science about how all of this happens is not fully understood, but it is interesting.

Bottom line: There is no good reason to run without a thermostat and many good reasons to run with one.


Jim
 
#5 ·
After running no less than NINE GM pickups to incredibly high mileages, this is what I have found: (1) Run a thermostat, just don't run the really hot ones unless required by the smog police. The higher the temps, the more it beats up on the hoses, etc. (2) Always drill a hole in the thremostat about 3/32" or so in order to better "burp" the engine when you fill it with water and as it warms up.
 
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