I'd suggest that if the thermostat is indeed closed so no heat is being
lost through the cooling system (heater doesn't dissipate that much heat,
does it?), then the engine has to be losing heat elsewhere. Surely there
is a minimum ambient temp that the engine can self-heat in? I reckon at
-300 degrees the engine could never get warm.

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR

On 12/3/2007 10:09 AM Geza Polony wrote:

> Can someone explain this?
>
> "Even with the complete openings to the front of the radiator blocked
> off, it wouldn't run "normally" during the winter.  It still stayed colder.
> I had to insulate all the plumbing under the van and around the engine to
> get it to come close to normal on a cold, -20 degree F, day."
>
> Assuming the thermostat is completely closed, how come the engine won't warm
> up? Shouldn't there be NO flow to the radiator with the t-stat closed?
>
> This is exactly what I would expect from mine (though I've never taken it to
> 20* below)--and yet it indicates the cooling system is malfunctioning even
> with a good thermostat, water pump, and all the rest.
>
> I'm baffled.