Itinerant Air-Cooled

I recently had fun testing my thermostat in the vehicle. I hit it with a heat gun and measured temperature with an infrared heat thermometer "gun" thing. The thermostat opens at 60-65 deg C, which seems about right.

I also could not resist getting one of these thermostats offered by BusDepot:
http://www.busdepot.com/111119159a

Not yet installed, but it is German VW. Interesting that your failed, luftvagon. Ha, and now it's $140 and on "sale".

Interesting. I wonder where they found those. VW 'stats. Awesome Powdercoat has been making good thermostats for a while, for cheaper, with a warranty. It will be interesting to see which lasts longer; my 43-year-old VW 'stat gave up last month.

Peculiar timing. I just took of the busdepot Wahler thermostat for rebuild. Rebuild was easy. I just wished I squished it a bit more, and heated it up a bit more for extra squish. This made an amazing difference in how the van starts. It really helps with cold starts!!! It also helps with warmup enrichment, or getting out of it faster, and most amazingly it helps with getting the right tune dialed it.

If your thermostat is broken! FIX IT!!! Now I am ordering the Awesome unit, and I am just mad at myself I didnt order it last week. The van and I will be on the road for the next few days, and it would've been perfect to dial in the rest of the fuel map.

I like my Awesome thermostat. Why mess around with something that is so important for an air cooled engine? His product is a bargain, and a real work of art. Wish all our parts suppliers cared like this guy evidently does.

Jivermo wrote:I like my Awesome thermostat. Why mess around with something that is so important for an air cooled engine? His product is a bargain, and a real work of art. Wish all our parts suppliers cared like this guy evidently does.

Awesome Powdercoat's thermostats are awesome. His awesome powdercoating order I made was not awesome sandblasted properly, and there is grit embedded in most of the tin. The gasket-securing tab in the T1 valve covers is not awesome welded properly, snapping off every other cover I've seen of his. (3 out of six.)

Robbie

Awesome has some subawesome stuff going on? That is a drag to hear.

If your thermostat is broken! FIX IT!!!

procedure ? pics ? (or is it already posted somewhere)

dingo wrote:
If your thermostat is broken! FIX IT!!!

procedure ? pics ? (or is it already posted somewhere)

Ratwell has a brief description here

The last time my thermostat failed I found a type1 and modified it using a bicycle rear derailleur cable. It is still holding strong but if or when it fails I will perform a repair that is posted here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... thermostat

I actually have 2 sitting in my pile of parts so I even have some for the learning curve.

Mulcheese wrote:The last time my thermostat failed I found a type1 and modified it using a bicycle rear derailleur cable. It is still holding strong but if or when it fails I will perform a repair that is posted here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... thermostat

I actually have 2 sitting in my pile of parts so I even have some for the learning curve.

Dang ol' Volkswagen engineers have a reason for everything. I, too, have the bug 60-65º Wahler installed on Naranja, and I can tell you, it is not enough. I can't get this engine hot enough to boil off the moisture in the oil.

Perhaps I will spring for the Barely Awesome Enough tstat.
Colin

Amskeptic wrote:

Mulcheese wrote:The last time my thermostat failed I found a type1 and modified it using a bicycle rear derailleur cable. It is still holding strong but if or when it fails I will perform a repair that is posted here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... thermostat

I actually have 2 sitting in my pile of parts so I even have some for the learning curve.

Dang ol' Volkswagen engineers have a reason for everything. I, too, have the bug 60-65º Wahler installed on Naranja, and I can tell you, it is not enough. I can't get this engine hot enough to boil off the moisture in the oil.

Perhaps I will spring for the Barely Awesome Enough tstat.
Colin

I could never get the yogurt out of BB's crankcase once the 40-year-old 'stat failed. I went HARD on it for a few days after cleaning the cap, and it still showed it's milky head again.

Robbie

asiab3 wrote:

Amskeptic wrote:

Mulcheese wrote:The last time my thermostat failed I found a type1 and modified it using a bicycle rear derailleur cable. It is still holding strong but if or when it fails I will perform a repair that is posted here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... thermostat

I actually have 2 sitting in my pile of parts so I even have some for the learning curve.

Dang ol' Volkswagen engineers have a reason for everything. I, too, have the bug 60-65º Wahler installed on Naranja, and I can tell you, it is not enough. I can't get this engine hot enough to boil off the moisture in the oil.

Perhaps I will spring for the Barely Awesome Enough tstat.
Colin

I could never get the yogurt out of BB's crankcase once the 40-year-old 'stat failed. I went HARD on it for a few days after cleaning the cap, and it still showed it's milky head again.

Robbie

I have ways . . .

Nothing like a nice nine hour freeway pull in the left lane . . . except #2 exhaust indeed has lost two hours of adjustment since I left Florida. If it ain't one damn thing, it's another with these balancing-act air-cooled engines.
Colin

Last time I checked High Performance House in Redwood City had a box of good stats......I bought a Nos one in Germany last trip. Yes, the bug ones are too cold.

Got the thermostat installed.. A small modification was required to the stock thermostat mount. The guide hole had to be enlarged by a few mm. In the mean time i also enlarged the tin hole because the cable was rubbing. Groovy. Tested the thermostat, and it works. Time will tell if it lasts, and at $149, it better last for 30 years.

I have been running a type 1 t-stat for the last few years. My original one gave out and this was in my stash already. Changed the union nut and used picture hanging wire for the cable to the flaps and have had no issues at all. If I come across an original one someday, it'll go back on I guess