Damage after no thermostat?
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 11:37 am
Greetings. A few weeks ago, with your help, I managed to sort out the volatile readings on my 'professionally' fitted temperature gauge.
It seems I needed to have the feed via a voltage stabilizer which my '62 Minor didn't have on the speedo - so with someone's recommendation here I fitted a stand alone electronic semiconductor V S and all seemed fine except that I could not get the car up to a reasonable working temperature.
Of particular concern was, when going down a longish decent i.e. when engine not working hard, the temperature that I had generated all but disappeared! Long story short and all that.....I removed the thermostat cover to find that THERE WAS NO THERMOSTAT fitted. I have now fitted an 88 degree jobbie, been for a run just now and what a surprise, the gauge goes up to 90 (well JUST below, of course), and stays there - up hill and down dale.
I read some historic threads last night which did seem to give conflicting opinions about the dangers of running without a thermostat. I only bought the car last Sept and apart from the odd tootle into Derbyshire it's hardly been driven. I don't think it got much use prior to my ownership but of course I've no idea how long it's been running without a thermostat and why! It was a bit of a struggle to get the thermostat cover off as 2 of the 3 studs were 'encrusted' on the cover, suggesting that it has been like that for a while.
What damage could the absence of a thermostat have done and can I do any simple tests to check anything?
The car does seem to be running OK but I have noticed that since it has actually got up to a proper working temperature, for the first time since I've had it, the oil pressure is a bit lower than it was. Not surprising, I suppose as the oil will be hotter and thinner than it's been for yonks. There's plenty in, by the way. Accelerating hardish uphill, in top gear, it's showing 55ish but drops to 50 or just below tootling along on the flat and drops again to 30/35ish on tick-over. A bit low methinks...….but I'm no expert on such matters.
Any pointers or (hopefully) reassurance you can give me would, as always, be much appreciated.
Alan
It seems I needed to have the feed via a voltage stabilizer which my '62 Minor didn't have on the speedo - so with someone's recommendation here I fitted a stand alone electronic semiconductor V S and all seemed fine except that I could not get the car up to a reasonable working temperature.
Of particular concern was, when going down a longish decent i.e. when engine not working hard, the temperature that I had generated all but disappeared! Long story short and all that.....I removed the thermostat cover to find that THERE WAS NO THERMOSTAT fitted. I have now fitted an 88 degree jobbie, been for a run just now and what a surprise, the gauge goes up to 90 (well JUST below, of course), and stays there - up hill and down dale.
I read some historic threads last night which did seem to give conflicting opinions about the dangers of running without a thermostat. I only bought the car last Sept and apart from the odd tootle into Derbyshire it's hardly been driven. I don't think it got much use prior to my ownership but of course I've no idea how long it's been running without a thermostat and why! It was a bit of a struggle to get the thermostat cover off as 2 of the 3 studs were 'encrusted' on the cover, suggesting that it has been like that for a while.
What damage could the absence of a thermostat have done and can I do any simple tests to check anything?
The car does seem to be running OK but I have noticed that since it has actually got up to a proper working temperature, for the first time since I've had it, the oil pressure is a bit lower than it was. Not surprising, I suppose as the oil will be hotter and thinner than it's been for yonks. There's plenty in, by the way. Accelerating hardish uphill, in top gear, it's showing 55ish but drops to 50 or just below tootling along on the flat and drops again to 30/35ish on tick-over. A bit low methinks...….but I'm no expert on such matters.
Any pointers or (hopefully) reassurance you can give me would, as always, be much appreciated.
Alan
