>>>*One reason an engine won't heat up properly can be related to tuning. Very late ignition timing, or an overly rich fuel mixture can also be the cause.
An engine should reach normal operating temperature in time, even without a thermostat, it is just much slower.
. ...*EB
Really? Considering the over-capacity of a cooling system that can keep an engine from overheating in 100+ degrees ambient temps, it seems likely that without a t-stat limiting the cooling, the engine could not produce enough heat at sub-freezing ambient temps to ever warm up. Am I wrong?
Dave
>>>*Engines will reach normal operating temperature typically in most systems without the use of a thermostat. The real purpose of the thermostat is to assure quick warmup, this is for fuel efficiency and also emissions, plus the engine performs better at proper operating temperatures. That is all it does. Higher outside air temps are usually within a fairly narrow range, 100? is only 30? above room temperature, the system can handle that normally.
In very cold outside air temps the thermostat can close periodically as very cold air can draw a lot of heat out of the radiator. But normally once an engine reaches full temp the thermostat will never close.
All the thermostat does is keep the engine above a preset minimum, but typically the temp will seldom drop that low. If the thermostat is rated too high it could, but that isn't a good situation as there are areas in the block that are way over the boiling point.....*EB
