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MJ

P.S.

I was Traveling Cross-Country with that '67 Mustang and 390 FE....I was running with the Heater going FULL BLAST, to keep the Engine Stabilized, just below Boiling Over. I stopped in the middle of the Trip, let Her Cool-Down and Removed the Thermostat, Back on the Highway, It Got Worse, Not Better. It Boiled-Over! A little Farther down the road, after cooling, I Reinstalled the Thermostat. Back again to HOT, But Stabilized. I was Cruising for Hours at 100 MPH I-70 Kansas, Eastbound back to Ft. Riley. In the Dead of Summer 1972. The Little Heater Core with the Fan Running at Full Blast, made the Difference. Coolant was 'Straight Water'. Yes!! My Feet were being Cooked and in My Face Like a Blast Furnace, But We Made It! I Loved That Fastback!

...Why Drive so Fast?? I had One Day to Report for Duty. I had a Lover up in Chi Town, later to become My Wife...I drove there First, I think I Stayed for 4 Hours, then Down to Kansas!

...As I mentioned in the Past, After the Engine Rebuild, Break-In and Oil Change...The Return Trip I took from Oakland to Chicago in 22 Hours Flat, Actual Drive Time!! Left Oakland at 1:00PM and rolled into the 'Boulevard of Lights' into Chicago at 1:00PM (by My Watch, Still On Pacific Time)...in the Dark of the previous evening, I had to pull off the Highway and Take a 2 Hour Nap.

That's 2,200+ Miles in 22 Hours On Interstate I-80 Eastbound Averages to 100 MPH...so for every Minute I was stopped Taking On Fuel and Checking the Oil (and Restroom, and drink), I had to 'Make-Up' the Time by Running At 130-140 MPH, when It was Possible! Believe it or Don't! No Brag, Just Fact.

I Challenged Myself to do it. At 1:00-2:00 in The Morning, In 1972, other traffic was near Non-Existent! Imagine Continually 'Cutting' All Apexes, Shoulder to Shoulder, Clear-Over 2-3 Lanes, for Miles. Yes! There were 'Highway Patrols'...There were Also...Doughnut/Coffee Shops!! Those were the Greatest of All Days Behind the Wheel. MJ

Last edited by marlinjack
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A friend runs a local auto repair shop. One year, right as the weather turns cool there is a rash of gardener's trucks full of lawnmowers showing up at his shop. I guess during summer, word had spread within that community that you should pull your thermostat and toss it in the trash. Well now that it's cooler out, in the early morning the trucks that sat outside all night would hop on the highway first thing and never get up to temp. There were so many of these cases that within the first week, my buddy would stand in front of the shop and before they even finished parking offer up his free advice, to install a t-stat.

The faster the water flow and air flow the greater the cooling, the highest posable cooling is achieved with the greatest Temperature differential, in reverse  to take this to a logical extreme if the was no flow then every thing would heat together and not cool at all via the cooling system. This is my understanding.

Water temp isn't the significant issue. Oil temp is. It must be brought up high enough to boil off the water.

Some oil thermostats used with oil coolers are set to open at 188° F. I think that is a little too low simply because water boils at 212°F.

This is the consideration at hand here and consider that temperature when you decide to install oil coolers and the like. The fact of the matter is that many are over cooling the engine and will eventually have issues oil related.

As far as the "water", the Pantera's system is one of the first high pressure/temperature systems that we see in that era here in the US.

If you accurately measured temps start to exceed 240°F, then that should be looked at and a course of action decided upon.



I am pretty sure that the  Mangustas were delivered new with no thermostats.

Last edited by panteradoug

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