Is that a bad idea? I only run it in the summer and thought cooler was better,no? You folks know, I don't.
Not a bad idea...It will run cooler, about 176, but you could just run a Jet 180 and never have to touch it again.
Yes, it will run cooler all the time. However, most newer cars (including our's, I'm sure) have different fuel algorithms for different temps. Your car may not run as well or efficiently if your temps stay low.
From what I remember the efficiency of a motor looks like a bell curve with the peak of it being around ~200F. So if you want to run cooler then run distilled water and purple ice of water wetter only in warm weather of course.
Their is no difference in running a 170 stat and no stat...I ran without a stat for a few months in the summer, no codes and temps got to 176 with normal driving, and a little above that when flogging. With the above statements...I guess you guys are running the stock stat?
this is not a good idea. the coolant will not spend enough time in the radiator to cool properly. dookie that's why you did not see much difference. imo
x2.....and while the coolant temp was showing 17x, the block was probably much hotter as the coolant wasn't stationary in the block long enough to properly absorb heat. At the bare minimum if you want to run without a T-Stat you will need a restrictor ring to keep the coolant in the block a sufficient period of time to absorb heat and in the radiator long enough to shed it.
Sorry Ralph, i understand the logic, but I don't understand what you're saying bud. If the ECT is 176, it's 176 no matter how long it stays in the radiator to be cooled. With an open stat vs no stat, flow difference is negligent imo. I'm not saying this is a good or bad idea, but it isn't going to hurt anything as long as you reach a "happy temp" within the predetermined time frame the PCM wants it to happen. As far as A/F...PCM reaches closed loop rather quickly, from there A/F is controlled by pre cat O2's.
I'm thinking about this... and I haven't completely convinced myself one way or the other. There will be a boundary on the slow side. The coolant needs to circulate at some minimum rate. I'm not convinced there is a limitation on the high side. I'm thinking the coolant can circulate as fast as possible until you start getting excessive cavitation or something like that. You have to look at it as a closed system and you have to look at the *whole* system. Let's just say that the volume in the block is the same as the volume in the radiator. So half and half. The coolant spends time absorbing heat in the block and releasing it in the radiator. Given half and half, the circulating coolant spends half the time in the block and half the time in the radiator. As long as the sample time is at least one full circulation it won't matter how fast the coolant is moving, it's still going to spend 1/2 the time in the block and 1/2 the time in the radiator. For example if you look at it for 5 minutes it's going to spend 2.5 minutes in the block and 2.5 minutes in the radiator. Now double the circulation speed. It's STILL going to spend 2.5 minutes in the block and 2.5 minutes in the radiator. So it shouldn't matter how fast a particular drop of coolant is going through the block. It is true that the particular drop of coolant absorbs heat at a certain rate and if it zips through there in 1/2 the time it will only absorb half the amount of heat. But... the heat is also being transfered to the next drop and the next. Half the heat is transfered to each drop but you're running twice as many drops through there in the same amount of time. SO you should be transferring the same amount of heat. Just apply the reverse on the radiator side. I'm not convinced that's right yet. Anyone see anything wrong with that?
By letting the engine warm up as quickly as possible, the thermostat reduces engine wear, deposits and emissions. Microprocessors and sensors depend on a certain set of parameters from the manufacturer. Included in this mix is the engine temperature. Remove the thermostat, and you throw the computer system into a tizzy! The thermostat restriction (even when full open) prevents surging through the water system and holds the distribution back pressure pressure up also, which makes sure the water doesn't take any short cuts thru the block. This also keeps water in the radiator longer. My block actually ran cooler when i went from no tstat to a 170 in my 440 6pack. Also 100% glycol is not good either, I tried that to keep from loosing water and see if it would run cooler (the 440 wanted to run 215-220 stuffed in my '69 Dart. It ran hotter on pure glycol. ..
The thermostat causes a back pressure due to its restriction (it is not a full flow device when open). This causes a back pressure leading to slower flow thru the block (and the radiator). ..
It is not coolng at the same speed as it is heating, it is trying to cool faster. So using the example of 2.5 min in the block and 2.5 min in the radiator, it is cooling more during radiator time than block time. If you run more pressure it will not stay in the radiator long enough to cool. Also running full flow may not get to all passages in the block, due to lack of back pressure. Most of this reference is at low rpm, which is most of your daily drivng. The faster you go the more air is pushed thru the radiator and across the block allowing better cooling. ..
Running without a thermostat may have worked on a model A , but not today. The cooling system works by heat transfer...the heat in the metal (block & head) is transfered to the coolant. The coolant "carries" this heat to the radiator, where it is transfered to the metal of the radiator and then transfered,again into the air passing through the radiator. Three different heat transfers to get the heat from the engine metal to the air at the radiator. If the coolant is moving too quickly through the block and heads, there will be a problem with the heat passing into the water, same deal at the radiator. Removing the designed in restriction of the OPEN thermostat will have an adverse effect and could reduce the ability of the heat to transfer into the coolant, not enough time in contact virsus the flow of the coolant. In addition, the thermostat prevents temperature fluctuations, working with the fans to acheive a semi constant temperature for better performance. Same type deal with using 100% anti freeze...the heat capacity of the coolant is greater with a proper ratio of water and anti freeze, giving better heat transfer through the system.
You're going to have to convince me of this. Cooling is heat transfer over time and primarily a function of surface area. We assume the radiator is full whether the water is going through it faster or slower. The radiator has a fixed surface area. it dissipates X therms to the air in 1 minute. If the water is flowing through it faster it still dissipates X therms to the air in 1 minute. You're thinking that if a particular chunk of water stays in the radiator longer it will be cooler when it exits the radiator. That's true. I think what you're missing is that the engine is generating heat at a constant rate. Where does that heat go while this chunk of water takes longer and cools more? I believe that the water entering the radiator will be hotter if the flow is slower.
