You don't NEED to have one but its used to have proper cooling other wise you'll have the coolet constantly flowing and not having the engine to proper running temp but I've seen people run it down the street or track without one
A thermostat allows the engine to warm to operational temperature faster. A cold engine has more friction than a warm engine
Without one, you will build up more moisture inside your engine. After awhile without one, this moisture never gets driven out of the engine and the moisture gets whipped up with the oil. It makes this light chocolate colored emulsion that turns your oil system into a big gunked up contaminated mess. Curious, why would you like to run without one?
Acornridgeman,has a very valid point! Having your engine run at say 180°F is optimum for our cars. Newer cars must run hotter! Not good for the engine,but the emissions police don't give a $hit about your engines life! In the Winter you should run a thermostat. It can be a 195°F degree for you guys up north,that need more heat in the car. The moisture,a normal byproduct of combustion,will evaporate from the engines heat and the length of time the engine is running. The worst thing,in Winter,is short trips where the engine never warms up! If you have to do this,take your car for a weekend drive at highway speed. If this isn't possible,change the oil and filter more often.
the one that was in there was bad so i took it out and never replaced it thinking it wouldn't be a big deal no real reason i guess. and what about in the summer? so cal can get over 100 F some days?
Engine wear is huge on a cold engine compared to one with a stat at normal temp. Also no stat can be an overheat issue. It also regulates the flow in the system. Move the liquid too fast through the rad and it doesnt transfer enough heat. I've been in the trade for 20 plus years and wouldnt consider running an engine without a stat. There is no reason to not run a stat. but lots of reasons why you should run a stat. If for some reason a stat isnt trustworthy like certain race apps. you still run a restrictor in its place at the very least. That depends on the build and situation though. Also as Acornridgeman posted your oil will suffer just like the engine from cold temps. An engine needs to get hot to get rid of moisture in the crankcase. Cold engines sludge up real bad.
I'm going to disagree with this. The newer engines are much more reliable and last much longer without a rebuild than the older carbed engines. I don't believe for a second that 195-200 degrees is any more harmfull than 180.
Ok so i went and bought one at autozone but its at 195 is that to high? Ive read some people on here with them at 160.. What should the normal temp be?
I run a 195 in mine at 9.5:1 with iron heads. IT works perfect for my car. Hasnt yet gone over 200 with the electric fan or when I had the mechanical. 190-200 is OK for my motor. No engine ping and it runs very well at 195. The new cars I work on run much hotter but they are engineered for that. I've watched them develop since 91 at Chrysler. I remember when all our electric fans used to come on at 212 degrees. Now they are up over 220 and pushing 230. The engines are designed for this and dont have any issues. The disadvantage is you have a very small window if an overheat occurs. Doesnt take long to overheat to the point of engine damage.
