To Stat or NOT to Stat...That is the Question?

As you can tell from the responses Bea, we're going to need a lot more info on your overheating problems to be able to nail it down. Under no circumstances should you remove the thermostat, it's job is not only to control the temp. but it also controls the flow of the coolant. Racers will remove the thermo but install an orifice in it's place. Iron takes a certain amount of time to give up it's heat to the coolant and the radiator core needs a certain amount of time to remove that heat, it's called retension time. If the thermostat is removed the coolant flows so fast that it hasn't time to obsorb the heat or transfer it to the rad core. Remove the thermostat and drill a tinny hole in the disc to let air out as your filling things and while it's out put it on the stove in a pot with water and an old style tube thermometer. Heat up the water and if it's a 180 degF thermo (which it should be) you should see the disc start opening just before 180 and be fully open at 190. The water will boil long before you hurt the thermo. I test every thermo before installing and have found bad ones fresh out of the package.