Thermostat drilled or removed??

[jrutherford36]

I have been running a 1975 Lola 342 for about 7 years with my water thermostat pretty much stock except for about 4 1/8 holes drilled through it based of someones suggestion. I just removed all of the thermostat guts except for the outer ring based on another suggestion from someone else. The two times I have run the engine it seems to get hot faster than before. Both times I have run it it was stationary with fans blowing on the radiators. My question is what type of thermostat should I run. Also I just set up a separate overflow for just the coolant. Should that bottle be vented or air tight.

thanks
John

[scorp997]

Spend a little more and get a "Mr Gasket" or Moroso brand thermostat (same part) from a speed shop. I believe a universal Chevy is the one I have. They are built much better than a typical stick type. Of course make sure it is installed the correct way.

[TimH]

I've been told to run just the ring with the thermostat itself removed. One would expect *slower* warmup but the reasoning is that you never have to worry about thermostat failure.

Vent the overflow.