How about allowing the engine to fully warm to operating temperature in the cold temps? Your engine warms more consistently/quicker w/ the thermostat and working properly doesn't allow the rest of the the coolant to cool the engine back down. Otherwise, you would be running a cold, rich running engine.

The rationale behind the development of liquid cooled engines had nothing at all to do with incorporating a "cab heater" into the finished machine product. The intent was to enable the engine to reach a MINIMUM operating temperature AND to maintain that temperature evenly throughout all areas of the engine. Liquid cooled engines will reach a uniform operating temperature quickly because the coolant is recirculated (by-passed) through the "water jacket" surrounding the combustion chambers during the initial start and warm-up period. Liquid cooling is far more efficient at eliminating localized "hot spots" because heat tranfers more readily into a liquid than into a gas (air). Because of the greater heat transfer qualities of liquid, an engine can be designed to have more power output than an air cooled engine of the same displacement. Liquid cooling permits an engine to be more compactly built because the cooling fins can be eliminated which means the crankshaft on multi-cylinder engines can be significantly shorter. The idea of using the heated water output by the engine to heat a cabin (or to defrost a windshield) came later.

That thought came to mind. What about just "lean" tune the carburetor to compensate for the rich running from the cool engine? I would think the engine would last a lot longer it running cooler than a hot one. From my searching on web sites, this Kawasaki was built for "air cooled" operation. John Deere may have thought it looks more expensive to have a radiator setting on top... come to mind, it is expensive.

It is not as simple as just "lean tuning" the carb. The fact is that the loading of an engine is NOT CONSTANT and neither is the amount of heat generated by an engine under different loading conditions. The amount of horsepower your "20 HP" engine might produce can vary from under 1 HP at idle with no PTO load applied (the load of water pump, compression and alternator cannot be removed) to the theoretical maximum of 20 HP at wide open throttle, cutting heavy grass in 3rd gear. That is far too great a range of heat output to simply "lean tune" a carb for. Not even with electronic fuel injection could you ever hope to compensate the air fuel ratio to a working mix that would allow for elimination of the thermostat. It was proven a long time ago that that the most efficient temperature range for an ICE (whether burning gasoline, propane, diesel fuel oil, or alcohol) was in the 180 to 220 degrees Farenheit range. In this temp range, you are able to coax the most power out of the fuel and still be able to manage the task of shedding surplus heat of combustion (and compression). If you try to operate at a lower temperature, you will not get the maximum efficiency out of the fuel (essentially dumping more unburned fuel out the tail pipe). If you try to operate a liquid cooled engine at a higher temperature, you run the risk of raising the temperature of the coolant above the cavitation point (where the coolant boils in contact with the water jacket). Once the coolant begins to boil, it no longer cools and the engine is at risk of failure. The argument about "cooler is better" has never been true. It is just an often repeated misconception. For as long as ICEs have had thermostats.....there has been a small group of people who believe thermostats can be thrown away with no ill effects. Now, if I remember something from past arguments, this is about where somebody should jump in and say that if you run an engine without a thermostat, it will cause the engine to overheat (because the water flows too quickly through the water jacket and therefore does not "have time" to absorb any heat). That too is fallacy.

I would think the more load you put on air cooled engine the more heat it would create. IMO water cooled alows the engine to work much hard longer and with less risk of over heating. The problems I see with most home owners, "Not always" and I don't know your tractors history so "don't think I am blaming you" or routine maintenance causing the major repair. But, in most cases owners just don't do the required routine pre-ventive maintenance on either. IMO very few engines or equipment wear out of home owner use. It's usually the lack of pre-ventive maintenance that causes them to die a early age. Of course there is the low precentage of a design flaw that causes failure and no fault to home owner, but usually that's after the warranty runs out and most home owners are unaware of the flaw.

Some that comes to mind is checking the oil and fluids! This IMO is pre-ventive maintenance! prevents you, me, or us from changing the engine or filling land fills.

I would put the themostat in, in not IMO you water will gradually get hotter and hotter when you put a load on the engine for an extended amount of time. Atleast with the themostat it hold water in the radiator and disapates some of the heat before it's cycled back to the engine block. IMO this will prevent it from boiling or boiling over and loosing anti-freeze when you work it hard.

Before my time but Did model T fords have themostats or any external combustion engine before the 30's? how about early farm tractors I think they used the heat transfer method meaning if the water get hot enough it will push out one end and force the cooler water in the radiator to the block. But, when you ran that model T up a long hill the engine got hot and the water boiled out.

After years of this of copping with this problem somebody ("Ray themostat" Maybe) thought if I could block the water awhile and then let it cycle the engine would run at a constant cooler temp. and we may not have to put water in it all the time from the constant boil overs.

My theroy (cause I too lazy to google or "W" it) "bingo" the themostat was invented and still used today and IMO should be used

The engine has only 568 hours, and other than a surging problem at idle... which I re-engineered the carburetor, there wasn't anything really wrong in the performance stage. It was a leaky fuel pump that started me doing the repairs. While replacing the cylinder head gaskets, decided to a new intake/exhaust valves and spring replacement. Including with that, new intake manifold gaskets, and all the other gaskets connected with the carburetor, fuel pump, air intake. I did a preventive type of repair here. I'm from the old school, while you have it down, just complete the whole "ball and wax" job.
I think it was in 1999 that John Deere(this is the year of my 345)replaced the 160 degree thermostat with the 180 degree one. Must have been a reason. However, I would prefer to have a 160 in there.

By takeing thermostat out will cause to problems that slowly take engine down slowest one be ring to block wear. Cause by slow warmup how oil works better in engine to lube top ring at 180 thinner oil will make it to top rings faster because lower pour point and lube fire rings and compression rings a 160 degree thermostat is not better for this oil grades have changed over years to work at different tempatures like 195 and 205 oil spec left 160 degree many years ago so finding that oil maybe hard to do at this time your engine not design. By taking thermostat will alow engine coolant to move so fast in engine it not stay in radiator long length time to cool faster it travels in cooling system higher temperature rise after a hour runtime coolant could be well over boiling temp the thermostat will lower tempature by holding coolant in radator longer. I was working I'd get phone call from oil testers that engine had increase wear and find it to be thermostate stuck open the wear metal come from rings and liner metals these parts per million in large amounts in oil will wear metal off cam and rod main bearings. If had dirt (called silcone) be in air intake system if had none these problem I look at missed oil change. A lot people need a heat gun to find cold and hot spots on engine.

RCMoser: Yes, the early farm tractors did not always have a water pump, nor a thermostat. My 1950 Cub doesn't have either. It is called a thermo siphon system, and works just the way you described. If the system is correct, very rarely will my Cub (or any other tractor of this kind of system) boil over. Clogged passages are usually the culprit as well as being old.

Wish I knew the code for posting a photo here. I used to have it, but the forum changed. Sigh

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:313539}}

Here's your photo. The process is the same.

The html line is:
>img src=your picture webpage...just flip the ">" and "{{gwi:313539}}

I forgot to mention that you have a great looking Farmall!!!

Thank you Machiem! I know what I was doing wrong now. For some reason, this hard head was thinking I needed to use quotes on both sides instead if the greater than and less than symbols. Thanks for the refresher and the compliments.

This tractor sports an aftermarket 3 point hitch and split hydraulics - one for the front and one for the rear ala Super A style.

This is a fresh restoration, and I still need to paint the Woods 42 mower. Once it is done, it will be mounted belly style.

This setup allows the mower to stay mounted on the Cub, and utilize the 3 point hitch for scraping, plowing (yes it can be done), cultivating, and discing. I love my Farmall.