Guys, I'm havig a strange problem. I never used a thermostat on my engine, because down here it gets really hot sometimes, and my car is used more in city trafic, with low speeds.



This is the fact: Ford specifies a 180º thermostat for my engine, and I decided to give it a try. Bought a NOS one, tested it, and works fine, opening at 79º Celsius, that's almost 180ºF.

While running in town, the temperature goes up to 200, and sometimes 220. That scared me. I have a mechanical temp gauge from Summit, and I tested it too, it's working fine. My radiator is the stock one, with a new core (3 row) and a 13 lbs Motorcraft cap. I run new atifreeze, and have no leaks.

I got the thermostat out, and the car runs at 160, 170 all day long, with some rare 190 readings at stop and go trafic.



My question is: Would a lower temp opening thermostat be better than running without one at all? Once the thermostat is open, shouldn't the engine work the same way it does without a thermostat (of course, just never going below the opening temperature)?


Túlio Lazzaroni "FORD", Florianópolis SC Brasil.

'74 Ford Galaxie 500 292 V8

'82 Ford Galaxie Landau 302 V8

'98 Chevrolet S10 4.3 V6

'01 Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec