i got this car for someone who was doing rally events just before i got it. it was warm then so car got to tep just fine and never over heated. i was told they removed the thermostat since they didn't need heat. The first rally event is in snow in January. Some heat in the car would make the event a bit more enjoyable. The car come to find out had a steel tube put in where the thermostat housing is supposed to be. I've got all the oem stock thermostat housing and a new aftermarket radiator. Ended up i had to make a custom housing for the thermostat to sit in that mounts to the block. The stock one would not fit, it hit the header like the header is possibly bent. I matched the stock part within .0001 other that my part is straight so it would fit (see image). The stock one jogged over towards the header and also had 2 holes on the header side that looked like there were lines that went to throttle body cooler that I welded aluminum plugs into to seal those holes. I made the new part without those holes also. I've taken the thermostat out and tested that it in fact opened when hot and closed when cold. It functioned perfectly out of the car. When it was installed the lower hose was always ice cold. Took the hose off at the thermostat housing and no fluid came through like so much pressure was keeping the thermostat closed. It was building so much pressure against the water pump the car would barely run without giving it gas it would stall at Idle. My only thought left was that the water pump was wrong somehow. I have never know a car to have the water system stall it so I'm at a slight loss on it. I ordered a header to try and get the stock housing that mounts to the block in. The header is on back order and of course when I Ordered it their site showed 8 in stock so the took my money waited 2 days and then the decided to tell me they were out of stock so that is going to be a bit before I get to try that route. I've been trying to get some testing in with the car before any substantial snow falls so I'm willing to try anything.
