my 94 camaro started to over heat yesterday and come to find out it was the thermostat. well some friends at work said i could take it out during the hot summer and it shouldnt hurt anything. well today my car started to act like it was missing. i pulled over and my oil looked to be close to a quart low. well i added a quart started her up and about 10 mins later she was running fine again. well this afternoon she started doing it again. loud clicking noise and draging like shes about to run out of gas. could it be the lack of a thermostat? any ideas or suggestions? someone mentioned drainging the oil and filling it up with transmission fluid and let it run for 10-15 mins then drain and put in some new oil. Any help is greatly appreciated! thanx ahead of time.

You need that thermostat because the PCM reads the water temp and adjusts timing etc. With out the thermostat you are no longer controlling the temp and the computer is probably having issues with that and causing the engine to run rough. Removing the thermostat is never a good idea on a street car, unless the thing is stuck closed.

Never put trans fluid in the engine, not a good idea. If you are into additives, then look at a quart of marvel mystery oil. Some folks on here swear by it.

missing? call police!

i havent replaced the thermostat yet but now with the thermostat out and the fan rigged to where it stays on constantly it still over heats and sounds like its missing with this clicking sound. Anybody!!!???

put the thermostat back in - read the post about its connection to how the car runs via the computer - put it back in then let us know.

a couple people have told me it doesnt effect the car. anybody else besides him disagree?

are the people that told you that very smart about cars?
if the engine is overheating, put the theromstat back in and figure out why its overheating. the engine was designed with a thermostat for a reason, not trying to be a smart a$$, but, put it back in and try it out then post with results. also, make sure you dont have air trapped in the system which will cause it to "boil" which could be the noise your hearing as it pops and gets too hot.

ill put it back in and post the results. Its a pain in the ass puttin it back in thats why i was askin if would make a difference. Thanx again guys!

ok i did as suggested and put the thermostat back in "brand new" and it made no difference what so ever. It still drives sluggish and sounds like a push rod is stuck and its only runnin on 5 cylinders. What should i try next?

a good robertshaw thermostat is like, $12 tops, why dont you just buy one and put it in?

everystreet driven car needs to have a thermostat...

Did the temp still get to high after installing the thermostat, and did you check to make sure there werent any air pockets?
If you did...
I'd let it idle, get a feel for how it sounds, and from what I've gathered, your saying it sounds like one cyl isnt firing. I'd let it idle, then one by one, pull a plug wire off of the spark plug, listen to see if the engine sounds different. Then reinstall it, and move to the next one. Obviously, if its firing, when the wire is pulled, the engine should then drop off or sound worse, however, if you pull one off, and it doesnt change the way the engine runs, you just found the bad spot. Thats if its an ignition issue. At least you could then rule that out. Also, might help determine if the internal noise your hearing is combustion related if all plugs are actually getting spark.
Just my $.02

tried the plugs and they all were fine. it still gets hot and i have to continue to fill the radiator. it still makes a continues ticking noise and still runs very sluggish and eats up gas like you wouldnt beleive. any other suggestions or ideas?

I have had several 93-97 Camaro Z28s. Is yours a V6 or LT1? I hate to say this, but the guys at www.camaroz28.com or www.lt1tech.com are really great with 93-02 Camaro tech. The 93-up V6 forum is really good on tech info if you have a Camaro and not a Z28. My 93 Z28 did the same thing and it was the fuel pump. Could be a sensor also. A failing Ignition Control Module , MAF or IAC sensor has these symptoms also. Sounds alot like a Mass Air Flow sensor going bad. Are there any Service Engine Soon lights coming on or have you checked for warning codes yet?

I see that you said you had to fill up the radiator again? Might have a blown head gasket leaking radiator fluid into cumbustion chamber making it skip. Don't drive it until you get it fixed though. Long term damage is expensive.