removing the thermostat - Focus RS
29-08-2009, 02:05 AM
#1
Winker
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removing the thermostat - Focus RS
anyone got any experiences or advice on this??
i am thinking of removing the thermostat from from my Focus RS, in order to free up the water flow and reduce the temps when driving hard.
i always warm the engine up and wait for it to cool down before turning it off. the car isn't an everyday car.
what are the pro's and cons and is this a bad idea?
the ford plastic thermostat housing these things use are total dogsh*t. i am fed up of them. over time they crack or leak due to not being able to cope with the temps of a FRS imo. and i am sick of fixing the problem
my thinking was....
remove the middle of the thermostat so there is still some water restriction but will allow much better flow of water to the rad.
anyone got an opinion on this or experienced with zetec's etc and has done this?
i am thinking of removing the thermostat from from my Focus RS, in order to free up the water flow and reduce the temps when driving hard.
i always warm the engine up and wait for it to cool down before turning it off. the car isn't an everyday car.
what are the pro's and cons and is this a bad idea?
the ford plastic thermostat housing these things use are total dogsh*t. i am fed up of them. over time they crack or leak due to not being able to cope with the temps of a FRS imo. and i am sick of fixing the problem
my thinking was....
remove the middle of the thermostat so there is still some water restriction but will allow much better flow of water to the rad.
anyone got an opinion on this or experienced with zetec's etc and has done this?
29-08-2009, 02:40 AM
#2
PassionFord Regular
1) In my experience, silvertop housings are far more resilient than blacktop ones to the temperatures of turbo engines. They also have M12 tappings for Ford or aftermarket CWT and a spare one at 1/8" NPT (can be increased to M12). They do sometimes weep around tapping insert but that is easily fixed.
2) If your feeling loaded, someone in USA does a 'billet' housing in a nice anodised finish for around £200.
The problem, I feel, is not restriction of a fully open thermostat, but the marginal amount of cooling from what is, after all, a standard 2.0l radiator. You don't even have the slight respite of an air/oil cooler as it has a water/oil cooler as standard. So first thing to explore to address the root cause of the issue is a better radiator IMHO.
Martin
2) If your feeling loaded, someone in USA does a 'billet' housing in a nice anodised finish for around £200.
The problem, I feel, is not restriction of a fully open thermostat, but the marginal amount of cooling from what is, after all, a standard 2.0l radiator. You don't even have the slight respite of an air/oil cooler as it has a water/oil cooler as standard. So first thing to explore to address the root cause of the issue is a better radiator IMHO.
Martin
29-08-2009, 02:59 AM
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Winker
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i totally agree about the radiator. it was something i wanted to buy 12 months ago......... but i intend to sell the car in approx 2 weeks time. otherwise i would have bought one.
my problem is.... i am going to the ring on tuesday and i can't eb doing with having any more problems while i am there (had a nightmare last year)
so worried about experimenting with the thermostat when i am about to set off on a long trip such as the ring.
i just this minute looked at the american alloy one actually!
there is also a chap i know in cumbria, who is a member on here who has made some alloy housings as well himself and is about to start selling them over our side of the pond. his is very similar to the yank one but a little different in production process
what to do....... i am in quandry now
due to the higher temps created by my engine having a turbo, what will the effect be on the water if i ran with no centre in the thermostat? if i left the outer ring/plate still in there in order to create a seal and restrict the water to help with the pressure. then surely it will run ok and the water temps will be slightly less, but any ideas how much? in your opinion? if the water is running through that rad constantly and i am bombing down the motorways etc?
my problem is.... i am going to the ring on tuesday and i can't eb doing with having any more problems while i am there (had a nightmare last year)
so worried about experimenting with the thermostat when i am about to set off on a long trip such as the ring.
i just this minute looked at the american alloy one actually!
there is also a chap i know in cumbria, who is a member on here who has made some alloy housings as well himself and is about to start selling them over our side of the pond. his is very similar to the yank one but a little different in production process
what to do....... i am in quandry now
due to the higher temps created by my engine having a turbo, what will the effect be on the water if i ran with no centre in the thermostat? if i left the outer ring/plate still in there in order to create a seal and restrict the water to help with the pressure. then surely it will run ok and the water temps will be slightly less, but any ideas how much? in your opinion? if the water is running through that rad constantly and i am bombing down the motorways etc?
Last edited by sebspring; 29-08-2009 at 03:02 AM.
29-08-2009, 06:55 AM
#4
PassionFord Regular
Well most people would say that removing the centre would increase the flow, but to be honest, given the opening lift and the viscosity of coolant, it won't actually make any difference. The only way to increase the flow by playing with the thermostat would be increase the size of the opening. ie remove the thermostat altogether (but ensure the seal seats properly.
This will of course marginally increase warm up time as the low volume 3 stage cycle is defeated.
But I don't think the pinch point for coolant flow is the thermostat. Don't forget that although only the block, head & pump remain essentially the same on the WRC engine, Mountune/Cosworth spent a lot of effort reworking the standard (not FRS, was it homologated?) waterpump to increase flow, including increasing the size of the waterway into the block.
No for your trip, given the timescale, I'd be down a breakers finding a Mondeo/Escort thermostat housing and getting a couple of sets of seals. Unless you can detour to Guildford on the way to the ferry to borrow one of mine.
Martin
This will of course marginally increase warm up time as the low volume 3 stage cycle is defeated.
But I don't think the pinch point for coolant flow is the thermostat. Don't forget that although only the block, head & pump remain essentially the same on the WRC engine, Mountune/Cosworth spent a lot of effort reworking the standard (not FRS, was it homologated?) waterpump to increase flow, including increasing the size of the waterway into the block.
No for your trip, given the timescale, I'd be down a breakers finding a Mondeo/Escort thermostat housing and getting a couple of sets of seals. Unless you can detour to Guildford on the way to the ferry to borrow one of mine.
Martin
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