Maybe we're speaking past one another, again.

When the engine is cold the thermostat pulls the flaps, against the pressure of the return spring, to what we'll call the "closed" position, minimizing cooling air to the engine. As the engine warms up the thermostat expands and the return spring is allowed to "open" the flaps partially, allowing more air to the engine. When the engine is completely warm the thermostat is fully expanded and the flaps are in their fully "open" position, allowing the maximum amount of cooling air to the engine.

The thermostat is designed to fail in its extended state allowing the flaps to "default" to their fully open position via the action of the return spring. This makes sense as it's safer to have a default position where the engine receives maximum cooling vs. a position where the engine receives the minimum amount of cooling. So, I said "the default position is 'full cooling air to the engine' which is what you want if you have no thermostat."

Are you saying it's better to run in 100 degree summer days with the flaps at the *opposite* of their default position? --------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Young '81 Vanagon Lafayette, CA 94549 '82 Westfalia --------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stan Wilder" <wilden1-1@sbcglobal.net> To: "Tom Young" <tomyoung1@COMCAST.NET>; <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2004 7:28 AM Subject: Re: Re: 1980 Thermostat

> There can always be disputes but I run an oil temp gauge, a cylinder head > temp gauge on #3 and an oil pressure gauge. > I've found that in Texas 100 degree summer days the full flow over the oil > cooler is the cooler running engine with higher oil pressures. > Possibly other variables lead you to your conclusion. > > Stan Wilder > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tom Young" <tomyoung1@COMCAST.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2004 9:09 AM > Subject: Re: 1980 Thermostat > > > > No, the default position is "full cooling air to the engine" which is what > > you want if you have no thermostat. And California Imports is "out of > > stock" on these thermostats, as they always are. > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > Tom Young '81 Vanagon > > Lafayette, CA 94549 '82 Westfalia > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Jake Beaulieu" <jake_beaulieu@YAHOO.COM> > > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > > Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2004 6:27 AM > > Subject: Re: 1980 Thermostat > > > > > > > The thermostat on my 1982 Westy is shot. I removed it and simply let > the > > cooling flaps spring back to their default position. Stan, if I read your > > e-mail correctly it looks like you feel that it is better not to have the > > airflaps at the default position. I sorda suspected this myself. It > looks > > like at the default position the cooling flaps pretty well close off the > oil > > cooler duct. What position do you tie off your cooling flaps at? > > > By the way. I just received the catalog from California Imports > > (www.cip1.com) and they have a limited number of thermostats for the > 1980-83 > > air cooled vanagons. They are pricey, about $60 if memory serves > correctly. >