Thermostat Question (not problem)

[Whiplash]

Ive been thinking...why do we need a thermostat? The block of my TSi cracked because a $15 thermostat failed and didn't open. Ive been running my 4G67 elantra without the thermostat since then without any problems.

The only advantage I can think of is that it heats the car up a little faster.
Anything else? Because I don't get it.

[Cypher]

It doesn't allow the motor to properly warm up keeping it in constant cold start mode. This keeps it running richer than it should be. Also, things need to reach a proper operating temperature to be optimum, which you will not get with no thermostat.

[Whiplash]

Maybe during winter, but during summer things heat up quickly.

[Cypher]

When my radiator was bad on the ranger I ran it without the thermostat for a few weeks. It didn't warm up correctly.

[Whiplash]

Any bad side effects?

[Cypher]

You really need a thermostat. The thermostat acts as a restrictor as well as regulating the temperature. Without the thermostat the water can travel faster than it should through the engine. When the water goes to fast it doesn't stay in the radiator long enough to cool properly and can cause also cause the heads to run hotter than normal.

123456

[Whiplash]

Hmm...so possibly cracked block or cracked head. I would have to with the cracked head. Would it help at all to drill a hole or a few holes in the thermostat? So if it does fail flow still happens.

[Cypher]

You could just watch your temperature gauge closely and if you notice it overheating then shut it off...

seriously though, thermostats are cheap. I had my orginal one in for 100k miles and never had issues with it.

I just found a really awesome quote

Even a fairly recent copy of the Moroso catalog perpetuates the "too fast to cool" theory. Since any type of heat transfer improves with greater temp difference, pausing to let coolant "warm up" has to degrade heat flow, and thus cooling. Combine that with the stagnant liquid boundary layer stuck to the hot cylinder head through which only water's crappy thermal conductivity can work, and greater speed will again only help by scrubbing the boundary layer thinner. Look at the cooling passages in modern high performance engines. Thin for high velocity over hot surfaces because the coolant in the middle of a large channel is just going along for the ride.

Or, eat that ice cream cone while driving with the window open and see whether it warms up and melts quicker than in still air.

Well then, are the folks who believe they have had even good running engines overheat when running completely 'stat-less liars or fools?
Probably not. The race shops that advocate thermostat removal add a restrictor plate at the same location. This would have the effect of creating pressure drop as the coolant leaves the block, which does 2 good things. First it reduces pump flow a bit, and that improves the relative pump inlet NPSH condition making cavitation less likely. Second, it raises the pressure in the block a bit (which is already over the pressure set by the pressure cap), reducing the chance of local boiling at hot spots in the cylinder heads, which WOULD clobber the engine cooling in exactly the areas that need it the most.

[Whiplash]

I see. I was taught that the flow of coolant needs to be turbulant, so that the same coolant is not being used the whole time while some of it just rides along in the middle. So maybe a restrictor plate with an opening that promotes turbulant but constant flow would be best.

[Cypher]

sounds like it

[2001VE]

There are "fail safe" thermostats that are designed to fail in the open position so the motor can't be damaged. Usually only an extra 8-10 bucks. The glycol mix also has an effect on cooling system efficiency. A heavier denser fluid doesn't flow as well and creates more pressure drop in the system. So a 50/50 mix works better than a 60/40 glycol to water mix. Different brands of rads also route the coolant flow slightly different to utilize conduction/convection/radiation heat tranfer. I willing to bet even NASCAR and F1 have some type of thermostat heat regulation system.

[hyunelan2]

My thermostat went at 60K, and failed "open." Engine just stayed way-cool, about 1/4 of the way to "normal." The car ran and drove fine, but I didn't leave it like that for more than 3 days to tell you really what it was like 'not having a t-stat.'

[theWorst]

LOL.. my thermostat went at around 70 or so k.. closed.

i changed it and drove it around for 30k and it would take forever to heat up... mileage was crappy for over a year. CEL would only go off after hours in traffic in DC..

then when guys from EXD and Elantraclub tried putting my engine back together... we found out i had it installed backward. .. rofllamacamel.

now all is well. and mileage is back up. still rich tho'.. but 24mpg is a lot better than 19.

[2loud2k2xd]

LOL.. my thermostat went at around 70 or so k.. closed.

i changed it and drove it around for 30k and it would take forever to heat up... mileage was crappy for over a year. CEL would only go off after hours in traffic in DC..

then when guys from EXD and Elantraclub tried putting my engine back together... we found out i had it installed backward. .. rofllamacamel.

now all is well. and mileage is back up. still rich tho'.. but 24mpg is a lot better than 19.



:D
i did that on my old winter beater.

[KeWLKaT]

wtf do you guys have no graphic memory or something? lol

[theWorst]

i changed it at night and went inside to use the bathroom.

i know its a poor excuse.. but it wouldn't seat the 'proper' way.. (i didn't know you had to keep turning it until it seated)..

but it seated just fine backwards.... go figure.

[Whiplash]

I willing to bet even NASCAR and F1 have some type of thermostat heat regulation system.

Ye, and I doubt its anything similar to what we have.

[2001VE]

With their $'s probably a lot more involved. Two years ago I was able to look around under the hood of Elliot Sadler's no longer used M&M's car when it was on display in Albany Georgia. The aluminum rad looked like it was a quintuple core and must have had 6 times the capacity of an Elantra. The oil cooler was even more impressive ; the system held 27 quarts of synthetic oil and was even larger than the glycol rad.

[Cypher]

thats alot of ****ing oil

[getfuzzd]

thats alot of ****ing oil

for 500 miles of 150-200MPH driving at high RPM....and they still tear down the engine completely after a race