ok now my girlfriend just bought a 92 corolla 4 dr 3 spd auto w/OD. now while flushing the coolant and such, i went to inspect the thermostat because the car is always at a little notch above the C on the engine temp meter and i was checking to see if the thermostat might have been stuck open. came to find out there was NONE there. spoke to my cousin he said that on older cars like this its best to just leave it be replace the rubber seal add some sealant and just let the car run cool like it has been, he said that given its summer time and its hot as hell down here in FL it can do no harm. what do you guys think.....
If your engine doesn't have one, it's not going to self destruct or anything. It's not really bad per se for the engine, other than if you drive the engine hard when it is cold.
However, It will lower your gas milage, and it will take FOREVER for the engine to warm up.
I would reccomend you install one, as they aren't exactly expensive.
HOWEVER, be aware that there might be a problem that the last owner masked by removing the therm. Just keep an eye on things for a couple of days after you install it, and run it good when you do.
that or they were to cheap to replace it. take it this way when I did it at the shop it was so cheap they told me not to worry about paying for it, since I was doing a co-op there
A thermostat might seem to be a very simple device, infact it is, however its role in the engine isnt just to keep the coolant inside the engine so that it will warm up can reach operational temperature sooner. That is only part of its duty. its other part is far more critical, its keeping the water pressure in the head at 1 bar. Everybody knows how a pressure cooker works, you keep the water under pressure so it doesnt boil. Thermostat does that by restricting water flow. Now you take away the thermostat, you take away the means of pressurization in the head and you might actually already be boiling the water inside the head, although the radiator is still cool.
Check any professional (not your local autocross ricers) rally team assembled engines, I guarantee they all have either a thermostat or a restrictor plate in the themostat housing to keep the water pressure up in the head. A behind the scenes trick is to make the restrictor such that it raises head water pressure to 2 bars, thats pushing it, but it works damn well. Having no thermostat is just a stupid fad started by ricers.
However, the whole cooling system is pressurized to ~ 1bar [14.7 psi.].
If I had to guess, I would say it is probably there to slow down flow so the coolant will pick up more heat from the engine [If coolant flows quickly through a system, it will pick up less heat. If it flows slower, it has more time to take the heat from what it touches. Up to a point of course.].
like I keep saying. Put a new one, not gonna hurt if you do. the temps will mess your engine up if it's always running cool and you push it. But hey your choice, not my car :p
generic thermostat- 10-15 bucks
toyota red- 25 bucks
2 jugs of distilled water --3 bucks
wrench, standard screw driver, and water hose to flush the coolant.
1 hour job for a novice.. 30 minutes if you're quick.
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took me like 10 min to change the thermostat. It was the running it to let the coolant cycle through so you can refill it properly that takes 30 min or so
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