OK, after Mark's post, I pulled out an old thermostat from my 2.1 WBX. It is indeed fully closed, but has a hole about 1//16" in diameter through it. So I think Mark's right, and I'm back to where I started from on my question. The black knob on top of the thermostat housing is, as far as I can tell, a bleeder. When I open it, coolant runs out, just like the front radiator bleeder screw. So again I ask, if the engine is cold, the thermostat closed, how can coolant flow through the front radiator to move air bubbles to the bleeder screw????? tx, bmc :) "Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel...."
> From: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET> > Reply-To: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET> > Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 07:41:16 -0800 > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: Bleeding the front radiator > > If this was so, I would wonder why so many thermostats have a tiny bleed > hole. Not much point if they are never closed on any car. > > Mark > > Ben huot wrote: >> >> The thermostat is never completely close on any car or van, it is open or >> partially close (about 75 % close). Even if it looks completely close, it >> is not. >> >> On most cars if it was fully close the pump would have a hard time and the >> engine would overheat, even in winter condition. >> >> Regards, Ben > |
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