hey does anyone know if there are any real reprocussions for running with no thermostat… my SR keeps throwing them, so run without one? thanks. krimzen
If you run with no themostat your engine will take a looong time to warm up.
So as far as repercussions go they will be the repercussions of running your engine cold for extended periods of time.
get the correct thermostat and it shouldnt get stuck…
does anyone have the correct part number for the stat… ?
I never run a thermostat in my KA’s. I find they run a little cooler under beatings. However I don’t drive in the winter, if you plan to winter drive make sure you have a thermostat. If not, just wait a bit till the engine starts to come up to operating temps before you drive. Thats what I’ve always done.
Andrew.
Not that this is a
OH MY GOD NO THERMOSTAT!?!?! YOUR MOTOR WILL JUMP OUT OF THE ENGINE BAY WEARING CONVERSE ONE STAR SNEAKERS AND JUST RUN THE HELL AWAY
kind of thing. Running no thermostat isn’t necessarily a good idea. The thermostat acts as a bit of a restrictor. Without it, the coolant may flow too quickly, and never cool properly.
But if it’s working for you, I wouldn’t worry about it. I’ve seen V8 Dodges eventually eat themselves from not running one. At high speeds on the highway you see the temp start to climb.
Usually the reason it’s a bad idea is because when people opt to run no thermostat, it’s because they were already having overheating issues. So, they have a poorly working cooling system to begin with, and they stress it further.
Again, this is a case per case basis. I do know cars that have gone for years without them and had no problems.
^^^^
But if it’s working for you, I wouldn’t worry about it. I’ve seen V8 Dodges eventually eat themselves from not running one. At high speeds on the highway you see the temp start to climb.
I don’t think that makes any sense. Running a car without a thermostat means that it will just take longer to warm up, it will actually hit the highest temperature point, just as the engine with the thermostat would. When a car is running hot, the thermostat opens completely, just as it would be without one, but as the car cools, the thermostat may close a tad.
Open or closed, the thermostat is a big restriction in the flow of coolant. Without the thermostat actually in the way, the coolant can move too quickly through the rad, never being properly cooled.
As hot coolant keeps circulating, it keeps getting hotter.
At high RPM your water pump is going very quickly, so the coolant is passing through the rad fast enough to not cool at all.
Passing through the rad doesn’t cool coolant. The air passing through your rad while coolant is in it cools it.
So you get out on the highway, trying to get cold air into the nose of the car and go faster, but the temps keep climbing.
With high horsepower high compression big block V8s, you generate a lot of heat, so their cooling systems are very succeptible to little things.
Again, I didn’t say this WOULD happen. Just that it COULD.
You also run the risk of running your engine too cold. A motor needs to reach a certain operating temperature, and running it too cold can damage it. Typically it is around 160-180º, but different engines have different tastes. If your car is not equipped with an ECU water temp feed (not just for the gaugue), it will be programmed to fuel based on a given temperature ie what your thermo is rated at.
That’s why the ideal system is to run a constant duty electric water-pump, with no thermostat (for a track car). Keeps coolant moving the same speed all the time, so it’s always getting enough cooling from the radiator, and prevents cavitation.
Next best situation would be to run an underdrive pulley on the waterpump to slow the coolant flow down. Again though, not the best for the winter.