Should you remover thermostat?

[dvldoc]

I notice this seems to be a pretty big practice in the Philippines, some people call it climatizing the vehicle. But it's actually not good for the system. Your coolant system is designed to have that restriction in it and if your car is a computer controlled vehicle it can make the vehicles tune get out of whack like running to rich all the time.

The thermostat keeps the water in your radiator longer so it can be cooled, without it it will constantly run the system and may not be cooled enough. On the highway it's not such a big deal but a slow speeds and stop and go traffic your actually harming your cooling.

The better thing to do is get a T-stat that is a colder range. For a tropical climate a 165F to 180F is a much better option then removing your T-stat. Remember you car can still overheat even if you have removed it.

The other and very cheap solution we have been doing for years is to drill your T-stat. It's what I do on any vehicles I have when in a hot climate, and where I live we have had up to 60 days of above 100F weather, believe me it makes a nice difference.

Start out using a 1/16" drill and drill into the thermostat away from the 2 support arms on the thermostat. Once you've got the two small holes drilled, go back in with a 3/16" drill bit and enlarge the two holes. Use a screwdriver or sand paper to break off any metal splinters that you may have created during the drilling.

You will see on average for example a 195F/90C T-Stat will run on average 185F/85C with two 3/16 holes. Plus you will also notice it will stay cooler longer in stop and go traffic situations.



It's a pretty easy mod to do, and better for your cooling system than removing the thermostat. I would put no more than 3 holes in any stat and you don't want to get crazy and go with larger than the 3/16" holes because you can weaken the T-stat.

These days they sell coolant restriction plates that replace the T-stat all together, especially for racers, but they are becoming more popular in high heat climates. Also something you can replace the T-stat with but it would have to be custom made to the exact size of the OEM one. These have inner hole sizes of 5/8", 3/4" and 1" i.d.





These have become very popular in the states especially in racing but I would stick with the drilled stats because these are for larger displacements engines like V-8's. The orifice size will be a bit to big for most 4cly vehicles.

[tip_tipid]

backyard auto shops are finding removing the thermostat as the easy solution against engine overheating.
this practice is a workaround, not really solving the problem.

[JohnM]

^^ I agree. Car companies remove the vanity mirror on the visor for some trim levels to save cents per car. Don't you think they'll also remove the thermostat if it's not needed?

[jick.cejoco]

^^ I agree. Car companies remove the vanity mirror on the visor for some trim levels to save cents per car. Don't you think they'll also remove the thermostat if it's not needed?

i agree with you on cars with very basic features. some don't even have airconditioning to lower the cost and increase fuel efficiency. but removing the thermostat contradicts the idea of saving a few cents. check the thread about "no thermostat" on the honda threads and maybe this will enlighten you and somewhat educate you as to why the engineers responsible of designing the engine installed this what you call "unnecessary" component

leave the thermostat alone unless it's defective. similar to the joke: 'nay nabal-an ko si tatay kuno way man tuli". mom: ay, tama gid na noy, hindi man naton gina otro ang gina obra sang diyos"

[niky]

backyard auto shops are finding removing the thermostat as the easy solution against engine overheating.
this practice is a workaround, not really solving the problem.

It's an easy solution until the actual cause of the overheating (usually a clogged radiator, a weak water pump or a leaking gasket) becomes problematic enough to cause overheating with no thermostat installed.

I went with the low temperature thermostat... but it's a bit too low... car only gets up to 1/3rd temps on the highway. Which isn't good for gas mileage.

[miked]

even the so-called "radiator specialist" agrees with the removal of the thermostat. especially on passenger jeepneys in bumper-bumper traffic.

i wonder kung sinunod ng kapitbahay ko yung sinabi ko na ibalik yung tinanggal na t-stat ng "mekaniko" nya.

[greg2]

hello po
newbie here what is t-stat?is it applicable to my 95 model tam. fx with 2ct engine? my ride is not overheating just wondering why theres a pressure in the hose from radiator to cylinder head and cant find the thermostat anymore.pls enlighten tnx

[greg2]

*dvldoc

greetings,since i dont have that thermostat anymore can i still go with the modification of t-stat?im from baguio city tnx

[dvldoc]

Yes you should re-install a stat and drill it. You would only need one hole for that area due to the cooler temps compared to the rest of the Philippines.

[oj88]

It's the other way around. The thermostat is not to "keep the coolant in the radiator longer so it can be cooled". It's for the coolant to stay in the engine longer to accelerate the warm-up. Engines operate at a somewhat narrow optimal temperature range. On my Civic, with the halp of a ScanGauge, it shows that this temperature is between approx. 90-100°C. I've observed that the radiator fans starts turning at 101°C and stops at 94°C. With the A/C on, the temp can go as low as 92°C since the radiator fans runs more frequently as it is tied in with the A/C compressor.

The thermostat helps the engine reach optimal temp in the shortest time possible. Putting holes on it or modding it without understanding its effects would make for an engine that will be relatively inefficient. Remember, the lower the temperature it senses, its AFR will be a bit rich, translating to poor fuel economy and higher emissions. Not to mention hesitation and rough idling on every cold start.