thermostates

Anonymous-0 · Feb 8, 2014

how important are thermostats in older gas tractors? it seems to me my dad always REMoved them . said they ran cooler.

old · Feb 8, 2014

Very important. With out a thermostat the engine can/will run to cool and that in turn causes a build up of condensation in the oil which in turn causes engine wear

Greg K · Feb 8, 2014

Agreed on very important. In addition to what old said the steel in your engine becomes harder and more wear resistant the warmer it gets, up to about 400 degrees. In short the sleeves and rings should last longer when its up to operating temp.

Paul from MI · Feb 8, 2014

Older tractors, especially ones set up to burn kerosene or distillate, almost always had radiator shutters to manually regulate engine temperature. The shutter was a sort of manual thermostat and was critical to burning heavy fuels. It is also important to maintain correct engine temperature on gasoline, but not quite as much so. Cold engine temps allow unburned fuel to wash past piston rings and dilute engine oil. They also increase spark plug fouling because fuel isn't burned completely.

jdleach · Feb 9, 2014

All of the above replies are spot-on and correct.

Another thing to consider is that a cold engine will more rapidly build up sludge on the inside surfaces, which in turn can become loose and find its way into places such as bearings, cylinder walls, ring grooves, etc., and wreak all sorts of havoc.

While the notion that a cool running engine will have less wear sounds good, it doesn't hold up to test and experience. Research as shown that engines ran at or near the boiling point of water, and even over that somewhat (212 degrees), burn cleaner, are more efficient, less prone to internal build-up, and last longer. This of course, is dependent on using a good oil that resists thermal break-down, and that the oil is changed frequently.

David G · Feb 9, 2014

My dad always put the hottest one in he could get.

thermostates

Anonymous-0

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old

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Greg K

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Paul from MI

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jdleach

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David G

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