>
> 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"