last night my car overheated. i assumed it was the thermostat that got locked closed. i had to take it completely out b/c i wasn't able to replace it. (first of all, what problems would that cause, woulnd't it be high free flow fluid if there was no thermostat? someone told me that i may have fudged my motor up) I was pretty much completely empty on fluid so i replaced it. I had to take off the over flow tank b/c it melted. It was a quarter of the way full of nearly boiling hot fluid and it deformed the tank. So my "fix" was taking of the thermostat and clamping the hose that goes from the radiator system to the over flow tank (second question, should i unclamp it and just let it over flow everywhere...kinda like making the road the overflow tank). I drove around for about 10-15 miles and the temp was normal. when i started slowing down in my neighbrohood, the temp started going up fast, it was about 80% to the "H" on the temp guage (p.s. when it overheated earlier it was way past the "H" could i have fudged the motor, i wouldn't think so b/c i was still getting low to mid EGT temps. when i overheated i was getting 1200 degrees) This morning i put in about 40-50 ounces of water to fill her up again, just in case. I made it to work (5 miles) and when i stoped at the first stop light a half mile from my work, the temp started going up again.

Why am i overheating? (being that i have the overflow hose clamped, could that be why?.... could it be that i dont have a thermostat in there? if so why, its always "opened" if the theremostats not there, how could it overheat? I was also told that it could be a siezed water pump, if that was seized how did my car stay cool for 10-15 miles until i started slowing down?)

I was just told to unclamp the over flow hose and just let it drip in the road. wont i run out of fluid quickly?

Do i really need the thermostat? You read my theory of why i wouldn't think i'd NEED It and i believe i've heard of race cars that dont have them so there is always a high flow of fluid.

its a leak.