thermostat removed

eclique · #1 09-27-2002, 04:55 PM

Anyone have any input I.E. possible damage or personal experience whith the following situation.
I blew a radiator due to over heating. I picked up a used 92 from a guy here in the forum, I purchased a new tranny cooler and removed the thermostat. No more over heating problem but it takes quite a while to warm up and runs a little less than perfect till it is warm. I was wondering if anyone knows if pulling the thermostat was overkill?
thanks
mike

Beav · #2 09-27-2002, 05:04 PM

You really want to have a t-stat in there. It helps the engine maintain it's proper operating temperature and clearances. In other words, the engine's piston-to-cylinder clearance, ring gaps, etc. are specified at a certain measurment that will become optimal when at operating temperature. The engine also runs waaaaayyy more efficiently when fully warmed.

Besides, who'd want to drive up top this winter without heat in the car?

You rarely, if ever, blow a radiator due to overheating. The plastic tank may split where the hottest water is always rushing against it, the radiator cap can go bad and allow the pressure to go so high it blows the radiator apart, etc. What I'm getting at is you need to look for a different culprit to be sure you've corrected the problem, otherwise you've just put a band-aid on a gunshot wound. Good Luck!

eclique · #3 09-27-2002, 05:06 PM

thanks the t-stat is going back in. The drive from phoenix 100 plus temp and averaging 90 was the culprit I'll bet

Beav · #4 09-27-2002, 05:19 PM

It should be able to handle that trip without any problem. Keep looking...

dromano · #5 09-28-2002, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Beav
It should be able to handle that trip without any problem. Keep looking...

After reading this thread I saw in my Chevy pickup service manual: "don't operate the vehicle w/o the thermostat.
the computer will stay in an open loop and emissions and fuel economy will suffer."

Beav · #6 09-28-2002, 04:04 PM

What I meant was the car should have been able to hold that speed at that ambient temperature without any problem.

rayford · #7 09-30-2002, 04:13 PM

In the older 50's and 60's cars you could get by with taking the thermostat out and in the winter cover the front of the radiator with a corn flakes box or something like that to get a little heat in the car. But with the newer cars with smaller radiators and smaller waterpumps and the aluminum engines it is necessary to use a thermostat, for one thing in the summer the water is allowed to pass through the radiator too fast to cool enough and as has been said before here,, when the temp. is cold the computer will not function correctly until the proper temp. is attained, the thermostat I bought to replace in my car is a 170 degree, that is what the parts guy said it called for although it was not from a Subaru dealer.