thermostat!

Can't seem to find anywhere I can buy/order/salvage a thermostat to
actuate my cooling flaps. My flaps are jammed on the "hot" position
for now as she (73 type 1) runs cool even on the hottest of days.
However, snow's a-commin' soon here in CO. Should I even be concerned
about the engine running cool? Is there such a thing or do the flaps
simply aid in warmup? I've read so many conflicting viewpoints that my
head is swimming! Any help would be apreciated.

Steve

I had the same problem this time last year. Ended up buying every thermo I
could find from salvage yards; however, I also found out that Aircooled.net
sells a Mexican version, which is a wire coil, as opposed to the diaphragm
type and is reputed to work as well.

The flap actuator doesn't have to move very far from full closed to full
open, so I see no reason why the coil wouldn't finction as well.

--
Randall Brink
Author

1970 VW Type 1
1975 Mercedes-Benz W115 240D
"Steve" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Can't seem to find anywhere I can buy/order/salvage a thermostat to
> actuate my cooling flaps. My flaps are jammed on the "hot" position
> for now as she (73 type 1) runs cool even on the hottest of days.
> However, snow's a-commin' soon here in CO. Should I even be concerned
> about the engine running cool? Is there such a thing or do the flaps
> simply aid in warmup? I've read so many conflicting viewpoints that my
> head is swimming! Any help would be apreciated.
>
> Steve
>

Steve wrote:
> Can't seem to find anywhere I can buy/order/salvage a thermostat to
> actuate my cooling flaps. My flaps are jammed on the "hot" position
> for now as she (73 type 1) runs cool even on the hottest of days.
> However, snow's a-commin' soon here in CO. Should I even be concerned
> about the engine running cool? Is there such a thing or do the flaps
> simply aid in warmup? I've read so many conflicting viewpoints that my
> head is swimming! Any help would be apreciated.
>
> Steve
>

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?...r=111119159AGR
original


Speedy Jim
http://www.nls.net/mp/volks/

Steve wrote:

> Can't seem to find anywhere I can buy/order/salvage a thermostat to
> actuate my cooling flaps. My flaps are jammed on the "hot" position
> for now as she (73 type 1) runs cool even on the hottest of days.
> However, snow's a-commin' soon here in CO. Should I even be concerned
> about the engine running cool? Is there such a thing or do the flaps
> simply aid in warmup? I've read so many conflicting viewpoints that my
> head is swimming! Any help would be apreciated.
>
> Steve
>

Its best to have them working. They are there to keep the engine upto
operating temperature. If you didn't need them - VW wouldn't have put
them there :-)

Running cool will use more fuel for one !

Its been covered here before - try googling.

Rich

Thanks

As many know I use the thermostats mostly for paperweights.

href="http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4025706&a=30209382&vt=vp">Den's
1977 Puma</a>

Steve wrote:
> Can't seem to find anywhere I can buy/order/salvage a thermostat to
> actuate my cooling flaps. My flaps are jammed on the "hot" position
> for now as she (73 type 1) runs cool even on the hottest of days.
> However, snow's a-commin' soon here in CO. Should I even be concerned
> about the engine running cool? Is there such a thing or do the flaps
> simply aid in warmup? I've read so many conflicting viewpoints that my
> head is swimming! Any help would be apreciated.
>
> Steve


In a warmer climate like SoCal, you could get away without a
thermostat.

In CO you need one.

The consensus on this forum is that they are indeed necessary items
especially if it gets quite cold in the winter. It will add to the
longevity of your engine by allowing it to warm up faster so the oil
can burn off harmful deposits and moisture.

It's exactly the same concept as the thermostat in a watercooled
engine's radiator system. The engine will run without it, but not the
way it was intented to and it can cause long term damage if running in
cold weather that way. We all know engines run worse when cold. So
there has to be a system to get it to proper oprating tempurature as
fast as possible.

~Anthony

Steve wrote:
> Can't seem to find anywhere I can buy/order/salvage a thermostat to
> actuate my cooling flaps. My flaps are jammed on the "hot" position
> for now as she (73 type 1) runs cool even on the hottest of days.
> However, snow's a-commin' soon here in CO. Should I even be concerned
> about the engine running cool? Is there such a thing or do the flaps
> simply aid in warmup? I've read so many conflicting viewpoints that my
> head is swimming! Any help would be apreciated.
>
> Steve

I am heading into my third winter with my 63 "winter" car here in Black
Forest (North of Colorado Springs, CO). I have fully functional flaps
w/OG style thermostat, CHT, OT and OP gauges.

Normally, it takes me about 8 miles in the morning for my OT to reach
180ºF. Midway through last winter I noticed that not only was the OT
needle barely off the lower peg at the 8 mile point, but I was starting
to see that milky white emulsion on the inside of the oil filler cap.
Sure enough, the thermostat had failed and the flaps were full-open
(like yours are). At ambient air temps under 32º, my engine just
refused to warm up to anything like normal operating temps in normal
commute driving.

Note that the new style thermostats may not fail in the flaps-open
"safe" position as the OG style does. I have not examined one first
hand, but those who have report that it will fail in the "flaps closed"
position.

As they say in the movies, choose wisely.

Max

On 24 Oct 2005 09:34:12 -0700, "Steve" >
scribbled this interesting note:

>Can't seem to find anywhere I can buy/order/salvage a thermostat to
>actuate my cooling flaps. My flaps are jammed on the "hot" position
>for now as she (73 type 1) runs cool even on the hottest of days.
>However, snow's a-commin' soon here in CO. Should I even be concerned
>about the engine running cool? Is there such a thing or do the flaps
>simply aid in warmup? I've read so many conflicting viewpoints that my
>head is swimming! Any help would be apreciated.
>
>Steve


http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/
--
John Willis

(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

On 24 Oct 2005 09:34:12 -0700 "Steve" > wrote:

>Can't seem to find anywhere I can buy/order/salvage a thermostat to
>actuate my cooling flaps. My flaps are jammed on the "hot" position
>for now as she (73 type 1) runs cool even on the hottest of days.
>However, snow's a-commin' soon here in CO. Should I even be concerned
>about the engine running cool? Is there such a thing or do the flaps
>simply aid in warmup?

The flaps are extremely important, even in warm climates, to get your
engine thru the high-wear warmup period. It's well worth getting it
put back together correctly. Proper assembly requires both
installation and adjustment, as well as checking that all the parts
are there and free to move.

-
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Jim Adney
Madison, WI 53711 USA
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