The vanagon cooling system is very complex compared to most other water
cooled engines. When any mechanic has a plan to better a system that has  remained
essentially unchanged throughout 20 years of production by removing
something so critical as a thermostat, run, don't walk away. Just as both Dennis  and
John have stated the thermostat is an integral component in a properly
functioning cooling system for the vanagon. There are too many other cooling  issues
to contend with on this engine to risk compromising the engineering and
design of the system. Your mechanic is being rather short sited on this issue  and
maybe you should consult a resource such as roadhaus.com to find  another
repair facility if this is typical of the advise of this mechanic with  regard to
your type of vehicle.

David Clarkson
90 Westy (237k)

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.