[cherp22]

I tried to read all the threads in here before I posted but didn't see a similar situation. I have tried two different thermostats (high flow stants) and drilled three 1/8" holes in them. Neither thermostat seems to open. Tried a 160 and a 180 both times the car ran about 220. I have ran a gutted thermostat and the car runs cool all the time, just takes forever to heat up. On e85 I just can't heat in it quick enough. During the dead of summer with the gutted thermostat on gas the car would run 170 all day long no matter what.

I am running a 31x19 Griffin radiator and a Proform electric water pump.

Do you think I have just had two bad thermostats? Doesn't seem they are opening up at all to me and are just cooling off the three holes and the electric fan.

 

[bracketchev1221]

I bought the Stewart 180 from Summit, even though it was a Robertshaw thermostat. Make sure there is no air in it, that has ALWAYS been an issue with mine. To the point that I was pulling the thermostat, and filling through the intake to ensure as much air as possible was purged out of the engine, and then filling the rest through the radiator.

 

[crazydavey]

I had issues with air in the system as well. Meziere updated my pump to include a bypass line that runs from the top of the pump to just below the fill neck on the rad. They also advised me to jack the left side of the car up as much as possible to help get the air out. I do not run a stat, my fans are hot wired so I control the temp with the fans....FWIW

 

[rodderscorner]

how do you know they where not opening, you test them in a pot of water,

 

[fatrat70]

I don't use one at all, let if flow as much as possible. I leave the fans off to warm it up and kick them on when it hits 150ish.

 

[Step-a-Side]

i use no thermostat also.
CSR electric pump 502
i use the restrictor plates with the biggest hole in it.
fan is going on at 190 and off at 180

no problem racing all day long.

 

[bikeron]

how do you know they where not opening, you test them in a pot of water,

Yes, you put them in a pot of water on the stove with a thermometer in the water and look to see at what temperature it opens.

It should open smoothly. If it pops open it's a bad one..

Ron

 

[Sinister]

He will have to run a thermostat. He runs E85. You cannot run E85 any cooler than 173 degrees based on research. It is much like menthanol and has to be almost hot to run correctly. Not running a thermostat is not an option on E85! :noway:

 

[rodderscorner]

Yes, you put them in a pot of water on the stove with a thermometer in the water and look to see at what temperature it opens.

It should open smoothly. If it pops open it's a bad one..

Ron

I know, I was ask'n the o/p
thanks :beers:

 

[lg1969]

I know a friend who drove 69 Chevelle SS396 and it ran hot especially when he was driving at high speed. He was using a electric fan on the radiator. He replaced the thermostat and still ran hot. He got rid of the electric fan and installed a air condition clutch fan in place of it. Ever since he did that his Chevelle ran 180 all day long even in heavy traffic. I guess it was restricting the air flow with the electric fan during high speed runs.

 

[novaderrik]

He will have to run a thermostat. He runs E85. You cannot run E85 any cooler than 173 degrees based on research. It is much like menthanol and has to be almost hot to run correctly. Not running a thermostat is not an option on E85! :noway:

not even if you run the water pump on a thermostatic switch to turn it on and off and predetermined temperatures? you know, like an electric fan..

 

[Yellomalibu]

not even if you run the water pump on a thermostatic switch to turn it on and off and predetermined temperatures? you know, like an electric fan..

I don't like the idea of letting the motor get nice and hot, then hit it with a blast of cold water from the radiator. Essentially, that's what a thermostatic switch on an electric water pump would do.

My car is still set up as a race car, I have a switch for the water pump, a switch for the fans, and a switch for the fuel pump. I turn the fans on when I need them. ... if it weren't for cooling the motor down between rounds, I would never have altered the factory type cooling set-up. It worked great.

 

[novaderrik]

I don't like the idea of letting the motor get nice and hot, then hit it with a blast of cold water from the radiator. Essentially, that's what a thermostatic switch on an electric water pump would do.

My car is still set up as a race car, I have a switch for the water pump, a switch for the fans, and a switch for the fuel pump. I turn the fans on when I need them. ... if it weren't for cooling the motor down between rounds, I would never have altered the factory type cooling set-up. It worked great.

that's pretty much what happens when a thermostat opens. once the system reaches an equilibrium, the water coming in from the radiator isn't very much cooler than the water in the engine- like only 20-30 degrees colder. without the thermostat in there, the coolant will kind of sort of circulate itself a little bit due to the temp difference so there would always be cool water being brought into the engine, and the pump would kick on when needed.

but this is all theoretical to me, since i can't imagine a situation where i personally would want an electric water pump on an engine.

 

[Orr89rocz]

I dont run a thermostat either but used to run a TPIS 170 stat. I didnt have enough cooling fan to keep that motor from overheating in the summer so I took it out while trying to figure out why I was overheating. Found out it was really just because of my fans not flowing enough air across the THICK griffen rad so I upped the fan size and with a shroud cured my issue.

I have both fans on switches so I can control the temps like that. IF you leave them both off on a hot day its easy to see 200+ deg while sitting idle or slow rolling. Highway it would see 180's depending on ambient and speed. This is on a warm day. Cold it will do alittle better but still can get warm if your not careful.

With both fans on I can hit 160's on highway in 70-80 deg weather. I usually run 1 and keep it at 170's.

So if E85 has to be 170's, you could get away with no thermostat or atleast use a small restrictor washer. Depending on the fans, you can maintain your 170's deg minimum requirement and likely run 190's without fans on.

 

[Sinister]

Justin. You are right in theory but again every car is different. Believe it or not with my aluminum radiator in the summer with days that were over a 100 degrees, I would drive around without the fan on. In town or on the highway. E85 runs super cool. Without a thermostat I couldn't get my car to 170 even without the fan. Maybe his will be different but I always wondered if that was part of the reason I ruined bearings because of getting on it and the engine not above 180 degrees. Now I baby it until I get it to 180 or hotter.

Again, I can only speak for my car.

 

[cherp22]

Del same way for me. It takes forever to heat up without a thermostat. I tested the 180 and it didn't open. Hadn't pulled the 160 out. What are the odds of both being bad? Its not a high speed issue because it would run hot with the gutted thermostat too then once it got warm, I just wonder if they aren't opening and that I can't figure out why.