Is it ok to run an pinto motor without an thermost

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tintop, Mar 6, 9:38pm
Yes - removing the thermostat removes the temperature control device, and the the resulting increase in coolant flow removes more heat from the engine leaving to to run at a sub optimal temperature.
tintop, Mar 6, 9:47pm
Incorrect conclusions from a faulty premise I think. Study that graph in the link I posted.
tintop, Mar 6, 9:53pm
As the push for ever greater engine efficiency's go - perhaps this is the future. ( May even be here on some high spec engines, esp transport engines. )

http://papers.sae.org/2015-01-1604/

Not unknown for the heat rejection rate of a coolant cooled retarding mechanism to exceed the heat load of the main engine on large truck trailer combinations.
mack77, Mar 6, 10:36pm
I don't know much about engines but from a straight physics point of view I have to disagree with "daryl14" s opinion that cooling will be less when the vehicle is stopped and idling and no thermostat is fitted. With the thermostat removed, sure the coolant flow rate will be greater than before; but at any instant of time those molecules of the coolant that are in the radiator will spend a very short time there, but because the flow rate is so great those same molecules will return very quickly for more cooling. Therefore in my opinion the greater the flow rate of coolant produces the greater the cooling of the engine, since the rate of production of engine heat is a constant value when the vehicle is stopped and the engine idling.
I think that you can see this same theory holding true for hydraulic power systems that use oil coolers and perhaps even in automotive transmission coolers. The designer is always after a high flow rate.
I hope that I have written this clearly so that it hopefully makes sense.
daryl14, Mar 6, 10:58pm
Sooo, your fans never turn on when your engine is idling either huh?
Riiigghhhtt

Dare you to disconnect your fans and leave your engine running for an hour. Double dog dare you.
tintop, Mar 6, 11:22pm
Yep - it makes sense.

At idle without a thermostat there is a secondary temperature management system ( in most nowdays) being the thermostatically controlled electric fan or a viscous coupled engine driven fan.

Engines with a direct coupled fan and no thermostat will just stabilise at what ever the conditions permit, most probably lower than optimum.

Engines with no positive means of dumping heat will just continue to get hotter until a stable temperature s reached, or something fails because of the temperature reached.
richardmayes, Mar 6, 11:31pm
Driving home without a thermostat is better than waiting by the side of the road all night with your thumb up your.

I've done it once and it is just like driving a car that has not quite warmed up yet. throttle response slightly fuzzy, needs a little choke to keep it idling happily when you are stopped.

Unlikely to damage the engine if you are sensible, drive it like a car that hasn't warmed up yet, and only do it to get home from the scene of the breakdown. ?
tintop, Mar 6, 11:33pm
Yup :)
msigg, Mar 7, 4:50am
Well we had a mk 3 cortina with no thermo in it for years, our mk 5 with no thermo in it for years, only problem was driving down to Napier in winter we had no heating in the car so draped a towel over the grill and carried on with a little bit of heating. Each to their own. Yes you should do your thermostat for efficient running, as a cowboy who cars in an old shitta.
kazbanz, Mar 7, 4:53am
Hey gutys before all the arguments --really the OP needs to answer this basic question
extrayda, Mar 7, 6:14am
I've run a variety of old cars with no thermostat for various reasons and times. Never killed any of them, nor made them overheat. What it does do is make it takes ages for them to reach operating temperature from cold, which can't be a good thing. Best approach is to fix whatever is causing the issue though, and put the thermostat back in.
purple666, Mar 7, 6:29am
Flathead Ford V8's don't like running without thermostats from memory. That's about the only oldie that I can remember having any problems with.
daryl14, Mar 7, 11:11am
Now this looks familiar:
xpfairmont (537 537 positive feedback) 1:51 pm, Sun 18 Jan #36
xpfairmont wrote: Entry could be made faster by the swapmeet store holders paying the advertised price and not blocking the gate with their van or ute trying to renegotiate the price for 10 minutes while all the radiator caps on the show cars behind the are blowing through their bonnets.

I guess The myth is alive and well in the hot rodding fraternity.

Ps: come back soon xpfairmont.
extrayda, Mar 7, 8:02pm
That's airflow across the radiator rather than thermostat. In my experience the times a car is most likely to overheat (thermostat or not) are when it is either running and stationary (very little airflow) or under heavy load (extra heat from engine).
tintop, Mar 7, 8:21pm
Illustrates lack of cooling capacity at idle - or most probably hyperbole.
franc123, Mar 7, 9:28pm
I don't know why all you blithering idiots are still posting, its obvious the OP has just lit the fuse and ran, and wouldn't understand what you are banging on about anyway. Its obvious a lack of a thermostat is not good for a Pinto, or anything else for that matter, they are a fairly hot running engine anyway and as the more clued up ones have noted if the original water choke DGAV carb is still in place its obviously going to affect that too,
tintop, Mar 7, 9:34pm
Don't let it worry you. A topic that interests some is ongoing, not a cause of calling people 'blithering idiots'

Threads often morph away from the original topic.

Not interested? - don't read :)
ignition328, Mar 8, 12:17am
daryl14 please stop, you're making my studies in thermodynamics look bad. I didn't know how little I knew.

OP don't remove the thermostat, use a decent brand one. Lots of the cheapies are really nasty and I've cooked an engine with one that failed. Someone might know who the go to brands are for your engine, I mostly dabble with jap stuff and get OEM thermostats
snoopy221, Mar 8, 12:40am
thermodynamics. LMAO.
[refer my prior post]
Meh U fullas ain't lived till ya seen an old H Q with a nailed T stat boiling BACKWARDS. lol
snoopy221, Mar 8, 12:42am
And back in pre google prob early 40's many a maranised by direct salt water non thermostated old ford 10 or so cracke a block due to

Wait for it

**drum roll**-free
Thermal Shock.
lol
jmma, Mar 8, 12:44am
On these older cars, you can use common sense rather than a computer (o:
kazbanz, Mar 8, 12:48am
Whats that? Haven't seen that particular diagnostic tool used for many years.
tintop, Mar 8, 12:54am
Oh - there are still some guys about whose age matches that of their cars. :)
snoopy221, Mar 8, 12:54am
Um dunno but think me mate Jack Daniels has one lol
snoopy221, May 11, 8:47am
Mind you it just got used here doin inboard wet brakes on a D8 when the wisdom of people claims one only has to lift and turn one track.
[Never seen a bully skiddin one side bud-methink lift both might help ya lol]