Kuruption562

I was told by a mechanic that you dont need a Thermostat if you dont use the Heater. I want to know if this is true. Right now i have a 160 degree stat in there, its been in there since last Oct and between that time my car did not run for 6 months so i was thinkin maybe my thermostat is not opening because i have a major over heating problem and im trying to eliminate small things before going on to bigger things.

Is it bad to run with out a Stat? If so what temp stat should I be using?

Im in Southern Cali right now, alot of heat.

Any info would be apreciated, Thanks.

V8Rumble

Off the top of my head, I'd say it might be time to look for a different mechanic...

First off, our cars (for the most part) rely on the ECM to control the engine - and the ECM expects the engine to reach a certain temp before it goes into closed loop.

You might have been able to get away with that with cars that only run a "dumb" carburetor in a warm climate, but I'd imagine that even then it would be less than optimal.

I'd suggest that you get some other opinions.

Oh - and it's really easy to check to see how your t-stat is working. All you need is a stove, an old pan, & a candy thermometer. (For those last two items, it's better to spend the $5 to $10, rather than to use your mom's, otherwise she might kick yer @$$...)

Once you have all of the items together, fill the pan about 1/2, maybe 2/3 full of water, add your thermostat, then throw it on the stove, add the candy thermometer, & turn the heat on. Watch for your thermostat to open, & when (if?) it does, check the temperature on the candy thermometer. If it doesn't open, or if the temp is way off, then you have a bad t-stat, which is pretty cheap to replace. Otherwise, you're good to go!

One last thing - don't forget a new gasket! (Also - I personally wouldn't want to eat out of that pan afterwards, but hey, that's your call...)

Hope this helps,

V8Rumble

slimdawson

Running with no thermostat could cause the coolant to circulate too quickly through the radiator. Then the proper cooling could not take place.

Kuruption562

Thanks. But now im thinkin its my water pump. I see drops of water comin from up there. Earlier i barely move the car for like 20 seconds and i open the hood and touch where the water pump is at and It was burning hot. It was steaming. Does that pretty much sound like the water pump? If so what they run for?

teke184

rebuilt pumps are pretty cheap. and i was able to change it out by myself in about 2hours. hardest part is removing all the accessories to get to all the bolts.

grab ahold of the wp pulley, see if it wiggles at all...good sign the bearings are bad.

Marc 85Z28

Your mechanic is a idiot. The thermostat has absolutely nothing to do with the heater system. The heater core circulation is unaffected by the thermostat or its operation. The thermostat only controls circulation to the radiator. Which explains why you get heat before the thermostat opens

Running no thermostat is a big no-no, and usually will cause more problems than it fixes.

If you have considerable heat at the water pump area after only 20 seconds of running, it sounds like the pump shaft bearing is bad. Engines heat up quickly, but not that fast.

IROC-T

The thermostat does affect the heater,and heating system,if the coolant dosen,t heat up then the heater doesn't work. Also when the stat is closed,and the heater valve is open the coolant is directed to the heater core then back to the engine,not the radiator so it does have an affect.

Kuruption562

Thanks for the info. By The Way he wasnt my mechanic, I just stopped by a "GM Specialsts" shop...guess he aint too much of a specialist. he wanted 24 just to take out the T-Stat lol. Thanks again, Ill be buyiong the water pump in a few days, hopefully thats my problem.

Marc 85Z28

Where are you getting this "if it doesn't heat up" BS? It may take a tad longer to warm up the engine on a really cold day with a thermostat stuck open or missing, but it sure won't prevent the engine from reaching operating temperature Our stock cooling systems are not that efficient, and neither is any other system for that matter.

slimdawson

Marc, the only way your system would reach operating temp without a thermostat is if you were sitting still. Drive it down the road a minute on a cold day and see what happens. You won't be at operating temp any more.

aklim

Mechanic is smart. when you overheat the system and need a new engine, there he is. You are dumb if you listen to him. That is unless there is a written warranty that should anything break because of that removal of thermostat, he will pay any and all costs associated with it.

PyRo9862

Well if he takes out the thremostat and tells you you don't need it he is responsable for the damage. But find a new mechanic.

aklim

You think he will fess up to it? Have him put it in writing.

Marc 85Z28

Really? I HAD a thermostat stick open on me, and who knows for how long. I swapped in a 160 for track use in late February (I use a 195 in winter and a 160 in summer) and found it was stuck open. Many times the car was cold started on mornings below freezing. I never knew the difference, in cold climate. I also have friends who have tried to cure cooling issues by removing the thermostat. Even when driving the engine ran close to normal operating temperature, and got there in a reasonable amount of time.

IROC-T

It is obvious that nothing is going to change your thinking,but you do know that a stuck open thermo still creates resistance the same as one that works properly(the one that sticks shut is the problem)so your point is mute. With the stuck open thermostat it will take longer to heat up ,but will eventually because of said resistance to the water flow. You DO know that with out that resistance the coolant will flow much to quickly to cool the block appropiatly ,and will give a fales reading at the temp guage as to what the rear of the engine is at(ie. hotspots) because of the rapidly flowing coolant. Yes in an emergency it is probably ok to drive without it for a short time,and or distance,but for longer trips you DO need the stat or at least the flow restrictor rings that are used in racing (that is why they use them)so you do non't get the hot spots. Without them the temp can run as much as hundred degrees differance from front to back of the block. But this is just BS and all of these people that are saying this are just idiots right?