Thermostat Question-1995 Southwind Storm

splasharizona wrote:
Thermostat question...Is it common practice for someone to put in only the upper half of a thermostat or would using only the upper half of a thermostat possibly be a roadside fix to an overheating problem?

I have a 1995 Southwind Storm, gas on a Chevy P30 with a 7.4l 454 engine. I live in the Phoenix, AZ area. When I bought the coach almost three years ago the antifreeze was new, so I had no need to do anything to the cooling system until now. I decided to flush the cooling system, change the upper and lower hoses and thermostat. When I began the initial drain I pulled the engine side of the upper radiator hose and then the thermostat housing. What I discovered was a half of a thermostat in the housing, the top half. The entire lower half was nowhere to be found.

It has been the practice of some to remove the thermo and install restriction rings in it's place or for making your own, as may be the case with yours. Especially if you mostly operate in warmer climates and are not in any hurry for an initial warm up or concern yourself with fuel economy, all that much.
With these, there is no chance of thermo failure and with the proper restriction, the coolant doesn't move too fast through the system and thereby not staying in the radiator long enough for proper cooling.