Should you run a car without a thermostat?

Rice Nuker said

Originally Posted by 72bluNblu
"They open at a set temperature, and remain open until the temperature cools below that setting."

What you have described Sir, is a cycle.
:tongue7:
I am just messing around.

You are differentiating between cycling every few minutes (or seconds?) and cycling based on system temp in a high heat environment which may require the entire duration of the drive to achieve a cycle. Both scenarios are possible depending on the conditions.

My 62 fairlane 260 would cycle open - closed every 3 or so minutes on a brisk Ozark mountain morning, in the fall.
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Click to expand...

Yes true, you have me there. :oops:

But that's a technicality in my definition, the point is that the thermostat does not open and close on any set amount of time. It is controlled strictly by the coolant temperature, which means it can stay open for long periods of time.

As you pointed out, the open part of the cycle can last minutes, hours, maybe even seconds. But, if the open part of the cycle lasts for hours (say, the time it takes to burn through a full tank of gas), the cooling system would fail and the engine would overheat if coolant did not reach the back of the engine. That is not a technicality.