> > OK, I am asking a question I have been toying with every since I bought > the > Van about 7 years ago. My mechanic which is the same person I bought my > 1987 > Wolfburg edition from has always run my Van without any thermostat in the > cooling system. He says that A. It is better for the head gaskets, hoses > etc. (Hoses > replaced a year ago. And B. As hot as it gets here it's is better for the > engine to not use the thermostat and C. with the mild winters we have the > heat > that is produced from the heaters is sufficient.
He's nuts. He doesn't understand how the Vanagon cooling system works. The thermostat is more complicated than a simple open-close affair like you find on other cars. It actually redirects the flow of water through the crossover hose. When it's closed, the water from the right head moves leftwise through the crossover hose to the thermostat housing to join the left head water and return to the water pump. When it's open, the water from the left head moves rightwise through the crossover hose to join the water from the right head on its trip up to the radiator. Pulling the thermostat out just buggers the flow up completely. The right head water is going to the radiator, the left head water is mixing with the radiator return water and going to the water pump, except for some that might be going one way or the other through the crossover... who knows what's going on. Basically, it will work fine under ideal conditions, but it's most certainly NOT "better for the engine". The best thing for the engine is to be brought up to operating temperature as quickly as possible and kept there. In hot weather, you want all the left head water directed to the radiator, not mixing with the return water, which is what happens with no thermostat. Put in a thermostat. The VW guys put it there for a reason. Also, you might consider getting a mechanic who actually knows how the wasserboxer works. He's made your Vanagon MORE susceptible to overheating in hot weather, and less capable of reaching proper operating temperature in a timely manner. That's a bad, bad thing. -- John Bange '90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger" |
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