The reason we were told to not run without a t-stat is that the water runs
too fast to cool off. Like someone that keeps filling your cup of coffee
everytime you take a sip, it never has a chance to cool down. The t-stat
allows the flow to slow to the correct amount. I believe that you may have
some sort of flow problem with your cooling system as you stated that it
heats up in traffic and high speeds. Has the engine been bored oversize? The
small block Chevy 400 was notorious for overheating due to its thin cylinder
walls. Check to see if your fan belt slips and the fan is ok. Also run the
engine to temp, then observe the flow of coolant. Running lean can also cause
the high speed overheating, but usually not traffic type overheating. Hope
this helps, good luck...roland
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