Who needs a thermostat?

[mkino]

As I have benefited much from the wisdom found on this forum, here is something I am 'giving back'...

About six years ago my boat was being worked on by Tom at Lake Powell Water World in Page, Arizona. He is a former race boat kind of guy, great mechanic...

He looks at my boat and the first thing he says is "Why do you have a thermostat?" He goes on to say there is no need, and the boat will run a lot cooler without it. I took his advice, and he was right, it runs 15-20 degrees cooler! And according to Tom, cooler is better...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Ayuh,.... Cooler is less efficient, 'n can lead to excess internal motor wear....

 

[hottoddie]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Cooler is not always better. Any engine will run more efficiently when run at the highest temp it can without detination and/or causing salt water to crystalize. A race boat guy would always default to running without a thermosat due to the extreme conditions. Doesn't mean that's what recreatioanal boaters should do. If you're boat is raw water cooled in fresh or salt water run a 140-145 degree thermostat. If in salt run a 160 degree thermostat in most gas engines. Salt water will start to crytalize at around 180-185 degrees and you want to avoid that temp range.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Engines are meant to run at a certain temp. You are wasting fuel without it.

 

[Augie56]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

For those of us that boat in colder climates, like myself who likes to fish the Great Lakes in the spring and fall, a thermostat is necessary to make sure the engines warm up when flowing cold water. Maybe not such an issue if you're only going to boat in Arizona, but a necessity in many, many other places.

Also, you may want to let your ace mechanic know that along with recommending no t-stat after reviewing your engine, he also failed to notice you have no hose clamp on one the major circulation hoses. You might want to get one on there.

 

[mtsumedi]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Also, you may want to let your ace mechanic know that along with recommending on t-stat after reviewing your engine, he also failed to notice you have no hose clamp on one the major circulation hoses. You might want to get one on there.

LOL!! :laugh:eep:

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

You are wasting fuel without it.

Plus you may want to inspect your spark plugs for a fouled condition due to not running a thermostat.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Ya might as well disconnect the temp sender wire and while you are at it, disconnect the oil sender also. You will save electrical power! ......p.s. if it came from factory with parts,they should be on there!

 

[mkino]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Interesting points made here... I use the boat 50% at Lake Powell (75-80 degree water) and 50% in the ocean in southern California (50-65 degree water). Six years no thermostat, no problems as brought up above. Tom's argument was that cooler engines perform better because the cylinder is a bit tighter so more compression. I don't push the boat hard, but I like the idea of the cooling water flowing unrestricted.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

It's your boat,do what ya want.I'll stop giving advice to ya now......

 

[thumpar]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Top fuel dragsters don't run a cooling system and haul. That is what I would suggest if you want speed. Works for them.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Professional racers (especially those that are sponsored) are happy if the engine lasts for just one race. The rest of us usually hope for a little longer.

My buddy doesn't believe in changing spark plugs until they fail. He usually gets away with it too, but that's because the rest of the engine usually self destructs first. Everybody has their own ideas. In his case he never heard of PMs.

Back in the 1960s and 70s I met a whole bunch of good mechanics / boaters that really knew their stuff. What they told me back then still works for me today. Its Threads like this that confirm my opinion that there aren't many good mechanics left.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Agreed,. Its Threads like this that confirm my opinion that there aren't many good mechanics left.

 

[cr2k]

Re: Who needs a thermostat?

Just parts changers and your's failed.

Not only is the thermostat there to provide the proper engine temp it is there to provide the correct back pressure to ensure the cooling flow is proper for ALL the nooks and crannies in your engine. If you ran WFO all the time then you would have max flow and less problem, but anything less you will see down the road when something fails due to inadequate cooling. And BTW pistons expand when they reach operating temp so how could cooler be tighter?

If you don't want to know; Don't ask.