what would happen if i ran without the thermostat? Pros and cons please!! thanks

 

um your engine wouldnt cool. thermostat opens at a certain temp which allows coolant to run through the radiator. with the coolant in the radiator the fan kicks on cooling the coolant. so in conclusion you do need the thermostat. its like a circle of cooling.

 

im a dumbass if you didnt have one coolant would run constantly. the only thing i could think of is that that engine would either take forever to reach operating temp or it would never reach that temp.

 

reason why i was asking is because im overheating and have tried everything, but i just found out that my radiator fins are trashed, overhalf of the front fins are gone...so should i give the NO thermostat a try? or just stick to my "blasting on the heater full" until i can get a new radiator? (new radiator regardless of course) thanks

 

id do the blasting heater. ive never tried no thermostat. sounds too risky. up to you man.

 

Gone?! Holy ****, heh, go to a junker and grab one, $15-20 down here.

 

i was running without one for a while damn car never heats up to normal temp go buy one for $15.00 really easy to change 165F

 

If your car isn't up to operating temp it will do a lot more damamge than you'd think. When your car isn't at Operating temp the internals wear signifigantly faster and the oil will stay sludged for a longer period of time. Just save up and fix it right cuz you might have to fix more than just a radiator in the end.

 

yeah if you got a JDM k20 swap then get a themostat...if not...meh
whatever, it will run cooler in the summer and your heat will suck in the winter.

i ran my 200k+ mile DX with no stat for years. and sludged oil did not own me.

 

Camohatch is right.. if its not at proper engine temp, it will beat the **** out of the internals...

now as far as for a few days? sure.. but... keep in mind.. im not sure where you are, what kind of climate.. but once you get hot... and its half way.. thats it.. its not gunna cool down, thats what the thermostat does.. disapate heat.. just be careful.

 

PM'd you about a free radiator i have....

 

you got pm back, thanks man!!

 

I'm curious...

Why would not having a thermostat in the less-efficient-than-normal cooling system keep the engine too cool all the time? The radiator is doing less than 1/2 it's job (half the fins are gone), so won't removing the 'stat compensate?
(Or will it overcompensate?)

 

im glad this **** was brought up. i have a del sol vtec with a fmax turbo kit. my dumbass friend put some fucked up **** in my radiator and it has been running hot ever since. i changed the radiator to a 00 si unit...still hot...flushed coolant system out. close but no cigar. im a thnking about removing the stat'. i dont think a new modine or fluidyne radiator will do the trick. i heard alot about boostin cars getting hot. maybe a racing stat?

 

he put some sealant type junk in your radiator? the radiator might not be the problem, it could be clogging up something in your engine... you might wanna get it flushed...

also about no thermostat.. yeah it's bad to run w/o one... but i've heard of people gettinf like a piece of sheet metal, and driling a hole in the middle, then cutting it to size and putting it where the 'stat goes... that would restrict flow a little. but if a new one is only $15.. c'mon

 

As long as you let your car warm up like you should let it anyway running without a stat is no problem, mainly in the summer I would run without one. In the winter it takes forever to warm up and then once you are driving it cools back down. If it is hot out and you take out your stat it will be fine. Might burn out the water pump faster but hey whatever.

 

for you guys that want to roll around wiht no thermo...

its not a good idea... i'll tell you why..

in the winter, you might get away wiht it.. but in all the manuals.. it says, let the fans kick in once.. for setting idle.. doing whatever.. now.. the cooling system...

if the fans kick in, its because the fluid is a certin temp. now take it back a step... why is the coolant hot? becuase the thermo opened, and cycled what was in the radiator, and still needed alittle more help.

now.. put it this way... once you reach propper coolant temp.. whats gunna cool it down? just fans? thats alot of strain to put on a fan.. then, what if you fan goes out around town? then your fucked...

manufacturs designed cooling systems for a reason.. the thermo is to disapate heat. the fan is more of a "oh ****" mode... does what the thermo can't handle.

if your rad. is new.. and new thermo, you prolly need to flush the block.. there's no other reason it could be. but hey, i could be wrong.

 

you guys are f****** idiots, of course you can run with no thermostat. It does not dissipate heat. All it does is open at a certain temperature 165 degrees to allow coolant to cool the engine. So. Unless you live in a area where it freezes you are good! Just hold it at high idl like 1800 to 2000rmp in the driveway for a few mins before you leave..then leave it in second wile driving threw the neighborhood. Let it rev to 2500- 3500rpm. As long as you dont fire it up cold and redline it..its fine.

 

This thread is from 2003, genius.

 

The thermostat on my EF is stuck open right now, and I wouldn't recommend driving it like this. Takes forever to get to operating temp if it's warm out, and if it's under 50 it won't hold temp while driving. Destroys

 

pros=none
cons= engine will not warm to operating temp which can cause damage since oil can't reach optimal op temp, neither can the engine.
bad mpg, look up "open loop"
thermostat closes at highway speed, so think how bad that will be for the motor to be revving cold all the time.


There are no pros, better to buy one

I go for aftermarket o.e. spec 180 degree. Can't be more than $20.00
If you want to save money, try to salvage as much clean coolant as possible, and refill with distilled water, only $.70
The o.e. honda one is 172 degrees but that's too cold. In my car, the needle drops at idle and raises back to operating temp when I start driving