Do you put drill a small hole in your thermostat?

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So half of us drill holes all the time and the other half pull their hose all the time.
I’m glad I belong to the first group.
Lol good one!
I'm discriminatory though.. I only like poking the holes of a woman, but more power to ya!
Just razzin.
I'd say it's like a 1/3 overthink, 1/3 use what they got, the other 1/3 like to $pend their problems away.

Whatever pleases the soul.
 
Been drilling holes for years! I was taught to do it by same curmudgeon that taught me how to weld with coat hanger and torch. And before I get flamed into oblivion for crude mechanic skills that same codger was lead mechanic on National Champion SCCA race car. I am dating myself but he beat the collective brain trust of Quaker States group 44 in DP with Datsun 2000 roadster. Guy was brilliant. Ya get bored google number 54 Barton special Road Atlanta Champion. I fetched beers and washed parts for him growing up.
 
I just put the thermostat in upside. All the excess gasses blow out around the radiator cap and I'm set.
 
And you got all the credit. Lmao.

Some people also just fill the motor through the thermostat mount hole on the intake before installing the new thermostat.

I always get a chuckle reading the lack of forethought of some folks. You have it off.. so why not fill it there initially. ..then after the stat is in and sealed up tight...fill the upper portion of the radiator..."nah, get the drill instead..."jk
For the person who said something about a stuck hose...
if a stuck hose detours the idea , consider the hose is **** if its stuck and needs replaced anyways. Remember...you twist and pull .....twist n pull. Lmao :)
That is fine if you pull stat out. But if you drain system for hose or radiator work, the hole will aid refilling.
 
That is fine if you pull stat out. But if you drain system for hose or radiator work, the hole will aid refilling.
Im sorry you mistake me for someone else who doesn't understand the concept of the drilled hole. I won't hole'd it against you. :)

Have a hole or not have a hole and burp the system like regular OR just crack a heater hose loose and it will do they same but even FASTER than the TINY hole.

FYI to some of you first timers... it takes time to burp through that tiny little hole, it's a sit and wait, fill, sit and wait process. Doesnt take forever 'but its not fill it and go..'
 
When I was a young lad, one of my early motorhead mentor/teachers who was a die-hard Mopar guy taught me to always drill a small hole in the face of thermostats when putting in a new one.
The theory was to allow any trapped air to escape while it was filling.
I've always done it and never questioned the logic.
Anyone else?

View attachment 1715632500
Decades ago most thrmostats came with a hole in the flange along with a "jiggle pin " in the hole that would break the surface tension of the air bubble trying to pass through the hole, very effective.
 
It doesn’t take any time at all to bleed the air out of a closed system with a 1/8” hole in the stat. I’ve done it to many times. But I guess it is a preference type deal.
 
I always raise the front of the car and fill slowly , air works out by itself ----------never cracked a hose !
Oh yeeeeah, well'I one up yaaa wiiise guy and put the car on a rotisserie, seee, and just spin the air out ...yeeeah, cause thats the ticket ,buster
:D

...Says in 30's gangster voice...
 
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What did the factories do all these years?
I agree, but we arent trying to argue a better way like it was kinda turning into, just a preference or way some find easier than others ...possible some folks had a bad experience burping the system and revert this or that method of their choice.

Its slow on the board, the count is still going, people are restless. Imo haha
 
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I started doing it years ago when I read about it in one of those 50-Tip articles in Hot Rod.

If it's in Hot Rod, it has to be good, right? :lol:

I like the idea of filling the motor before adding the thermostat, but struggle with how to keep all the coolant in the motor since it was on an engine stand and ready for paint?

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:rofl:
 
Oh yeeeeah, well'I one up yaaa wiiise guy and put the car on a rotisserie, seee, and just spin the air out ...yeeeah, cause thats the ticket ,buster
:D

That sure sounded intelligent , expected more out of you !
 
I was told by my auto shop teacher that the hole besides bleeding any air out from under the thermostat was to allow a little bit of hot water to pass through to the other side of the thermostat to keep it from possibly sticking shut.
 
I usually special order the hole seperately that way I can use the hole on various tstats as needed.

I used to order a complete set of holes in various sizes but that kit in NLA.
 
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