Thermostat is not a hard to obtain item, and is not that hard to put in (or to get put in).  I would do that, rather than drive the vehicle that far without proper temperature control.  That said, if ambient temperatures generally run well above freezing, I can't see any terrible harm.  After all, most of the time you will be driving with the engine warmed and operating, not starting it up from cold a great many times.  I just would not want to do it.  I have even been advised that an 80 C rather than 87 C thermostat is quite undesirable (though they are readily available).

DMc

---- Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> dear fellow vanagoners
>
> i am in a position where i am making a 20 hour drive with out the thermostat
> in place on a 1984 vanagon
> with a 2.1 digifant replacement engine (2005) with less than 1000 miles on
> it ...
>
> benny boy says the thermostat is crucial to proper performance of injector
> system
> then he writes about living in very cold quebec ...
>
> i am in the very pleasant northwest ...
>
> i will of course replace thermostat with proper item once back home
>
> will 20 hour drive cause problems ...
> what about a four hour drive to get parts then ???
> yours
>
>
> --
> roger w
> From Proverbs:
> Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a
> servant who becomes king ...
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