I know that the thermostat allows the engine to heat up faster when it's
started cold, but is it really true that it also acts to help cool the
water if the engine's too hot? I would think that if coolant were kept in
the radiator longer to allow it to cool the water in the block would also
stay around longer and get too hot. Not to mention the fact that the
thermostat would have to close when the water got too hot, and I don't
think they work that way.
Don't get me wrong, however: I agree that removing the thermostat is not a
good idea. If it's hot outside, the thermostat will simply stay open all
the time, acting like it's not there anyway. My DPO had installed a gutted
thermostat and the car took forever to warm up (and never did warm up
completely if it was cool outside) until I discovered the problem and
replaced the thermostat.
Mike
'74 B roadster
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> ... The purpose of a
> thermostat is to retain water in the radiator until it has had a chance
to
> cool, and conversely to retain water in the block until it has had a
chance
> to heat. This tends to keep the operating temperature of the car within
an
> efficient range. In cold weather and during warmups, the thermostat
> permits a quicker warmup and allows more efficient heater operation. In
> summer, it allows the radiator time to do its work.
>
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