someone school me here. i had an 89 rs and i removed the thermostat because i thought it was overheating . my gauge didnt work thas why. i had that car for 5 years and it didnt have an air damn either. i drove it on long trips. i would turn on the fan like when i stopped or after a long period of driving. it might have overheated a few times because i didnt turn the fan on. i would forget but it kept running without problems. just on time it ran outa water but i hadnt checked it for a while. oops.

 

It wouldn't run any hotter without a thermostat than it would with one.

 

ok, your patience is needed here, then why does it need one?

 

The thermostat determines the minimum temperature of the engine, not the maximum.

 

A thermostats only purpose is to get the engine up to temperature asap, and keep it there. Without the stat, the engine will take much longer to warm up and likely wont ever reach normal operating temperature. I drove my 83 trans am 300 miles from OH to here in Michigan without a stat with 3.73 gears, and then drove it another month or so before I got around to changing it out. The temp never got to normal. About 150, maybe 160 was the highest. But I have mechanical fan and open grilles for radiator, so that helps.

but I also drove a 67 chevy truck with a 283 without a stat for over a year without a problem.

on non computer controlled engines the stat can be left out and the engine will usually be fine, but on cc engines, it will likely cause it to run in open loop mode which will reduce fuel economy, and little or no heat from heater.

As long as radiator is good, coolant is full, and the fan/s work correctly then the engine will not overheat without a stat.

 

If you are going to run with out a thermostat, use a restricter plate. The thermostat only determines minimum operating temps, it has nothing to do with max temps. My `75 GMC ran much hotter without a thermostat than with one. I use a 170 in my `88 Iroc. No need to worry about closed-loop operation. Closed loop happens when exhaust temp hits 600 degrees and engine temp is at about 160, you reach those temps after a mile or 2 of driving. If you use a 170 and up thermostat your heater will work fine. TPI Parts has AC Delco 170`s thermostats.

 

You give alot of good information on this site... as far as I can see... but please read my long post in this thread.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/cool...stion-you.html

 

What am I supposed to be seeing in there? You've got the wrong definition for convection, for one thing.

 

My 2 cents,

Your car can run hot without a thermostat. Part of the job of a thermostat is to slow the water flow down so the radiator has time to cool the water. If you run witout the stat the water will move to fast through the radiator which will then cause you to run hotter. This is why they sell restrictor plates.

Also the Air Dam is a Must have to keep from overheating, I learned that the hard way on a 91 Z28

 

I don't see how..

As posted just before this.... with the fluid moving too fast though the system/engine it can slow the transfer of heat from the engine to the coolant and from the coolant and the radiator. Slower transfer means a hotter running engine.