My friend has an 88 Camaro with a ZZ4 crate engine. He has broken 4 thermostats. The last one that broke, he didn't even replace, so he's running without one now. What could be causing this? My own personal theory was that maybe there he had too much coolant or something.. any ideas?

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91 Trans Am WS6
Bright White
5.0 TPI auto
Flowmaster 3" 2 chamber catback
Trans Go shiftkit
2000 stall converter

Built on Wednesday

 

maybe he has too big of psi cap for the radiator!? way too much pressure?? he doesnt need over a 16psi cap on the rad.!

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89 firebird formula

356 10.5:1compression CURRENTLY DEAD!!! BEARING FAILURE!!
comp cams xe262 cam
performer rpm intake
#1405 edlebrock 600
sportsman 2 heads 64cc 2.02/1.60 valves 200cc intake runner
msd 6al
h.e.i. proform 50,000 volt vac. advance ditributor
700r-4 with 3.08 first gear and 3.23 posi 7 5/8 rear end.
b trans shift kit(will kill shifts...suck dong!!)
shorty heddman hedders with custom 3" pipe y-pipe back(no damn cat!) with 40 series flowmaster!


future mods: 406 roller REALLY REALLY REALLY RADICAL!!!!!

current engine underway..sucks not having a car!! Building the same engine but .060 over balanced and blueprinted..decided to get a little more serious this time around!!

 

Buying junk thermostats?

Ive seen them break, but not often. Thats my guess.

Or maybe he doesnt have a bypass hose on there anywhere and thats whats doing it.

 

define broken????

 

I'll second that. Exactly how are they breaking? What part(s) are failing? I've never had a thermostat actually break, although I have had failures.

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Later,
Vader
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"What a Day..."
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

Ive seen them break right at the top where the pin that passes through the thermostat attatches to the upper arch on the garden variety thermostats.

 

I've actually had one break.....One of the two "Legs" that center the pintle broke on one in an '89 Grand Am Quad-4 that I owned. Car ran too cold when i bought it, and that was the problem.

It was a Robert Shaw (cheap Pep Boys T-Stat). I replaced it, and never had problems with it from then on...... Strange.

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86 Trans Am WS6 Black with tinted windows, shaved door handles
ZZ4, Mini-ram, true duals, LT4 HotCam, AFR 195 heads.
***Too many other mods to mention***

"In the future, cities will become deserts,
roads will become battlefields, and the hope of mankind
will appear as a stranger" The Road Warrior

 

I'd reccomend checking the things already mentionedd, then trying a higher quality one like a Moroso or something. Who else makes a decent t-stat? I have a moroso in my car right now, and it seems pretty good, just wondering what else is available.

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Working on:
'84 Z28 LG4 305 with 200,000 original miles!
Added dual elec fans.
145 MPH IROC Speedo
Building 430 HP 350 (ZZ430)
using primarily GMPP parts.
Short block sitting on a stand. (Man, those Fast-Burn heads sitting on it look good!)

Starting to look like the Kicker poster child!

ASE Certified Master Tech

 

I've never had problems with the lesser priced Stants.

 

robert shaw stats are suppsoed to be good...not that ive used one, but i heard they were good pieces. the crap i seell at my store is cheap junk, probably doesnt flow more that a gallon per minute lol

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350, Comp 262, Edelbrock Performer intake 600 cfm carb and exhaust, headers
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