is there any advantage running without a thermostat if you live in a warm climate like FL? I mean, wouldn't the water stay cooler and cooler quicker if it was always circulating?

 

i think you want to run at least some kind of restrictor, all the old racers did becuase if you didnt the coolant wouldnt stay in the radiator long enough to get cooled.

b

 

No, the coolant gets too hot if it is constantly circulating as it doesnt get a chance to stay in the radiator and cool down, only a small percentage is actually in the block at a given time. youll see cars that have thermostats stuck open will overheat in traffic. my car used to be stuck open and it was ok as long as i was always moving, but if i was in stop and go itd get hot. also, it takes the car forever to warm up in the winter.

 

You can't seriously believe that urban legend about the coolant staying hot because it is moving too fast with no t'stat.

Most likely, your car will still reach the same temperature in heavy stop 'n go traffic. On the freeway, it may run too cool. Running too cool reduces power, reduces gas mileage and increases emissions. Your oil may not get hot enough to drive of condensibles that can form acids and contaminate the oil. It going to take a lot longer for it to reach "normal" temperature, which may keep the PCM in open loop too long. Other than that you should be OK

 

With old style thermostats you needed to at LEAST run a restrictor because the pump builds pressure behind the restriction to avoid having nucleate boiling become steam pockets; which is bad because that leads to hot spots in the metal and usually detonation.


In the case of the LT1 thermostat, it controls flow in two directions (which is why the thing is designed the way it is), in order to prevent water that is too cold from reaching the head. You have to do this because reverse flow cooling engines, by their very nature; do not have the "buffer effect" of passing by the cylinders first.

So, you can't just put in a restrictor like you could on a Gen I engine.

 

actually can you even do that on our cars? isnt the gasket part of the stat?

 

To add to the discussion:

Mark McPhail strongly advised not to run at an LT1 without a thermostat. The details of why elude me. If requested I could review the seminar and post why later this weekl.
--
Ronnie

 

Thank God!!!!!


Someone finally posted something right! Good job Fred! I have ran no thermostat in several vehicles and never had a problem with overheating!