Can I wire my air flaps shut for the winter?

[Velokid1]

I have an NOS thermostat, but like my turn signal, speedo cable, air can, and a host of other things, it's sitting in a box and I never find the time to install it.

Thus, my air flaps have been wired open for 3-4 years now.

This winter, after Colin and I tinkered with my bus to get it running acceptably last spring, now it's sputtering a little on the way to work in the morning. Even with a 10-minute warm-up in the driveway it's not warm until I complete my 20-30 minute daily morning drive-around.

I'm too lazy and forgetful to manually close the flaps, then open them, then close them again all the time. I know myself too well. So I'm wondering if I would be flirting with disaster if I wired them shut for the next few months and just opened them if I do drives longer than 30 minutes (very rare) or if the temps rise into the 60s or above.

Seems like all my technical VW questions are always stupid ones so I'm bracing myself for your responses...

[vdubyah73]

Would take less time in the end to just put the thermostat in. But, you knew that already.

[BellePlaine]

Yikes, I think that it takes a lot less time then 30 minutes to open those cooling flaps. I would guess it's more like 3 - 5 minutes. If it was my bus I wouldn't dare wire the flaps shut, especially since the fail position is open. Just go fix your bus already!

[Velokid1]

Would take less time in the end to just put the thermostat in. But, you knew that already.

Ha! The problem is sourcing the pulleys, etc. Or maybe I have them.

The bigger problem, of course, is that I don't LOOOOOVE working on or even driving my bus as much as all of you. Working on it is a pain in my ass and I don't even like driving it that much. I own it for camping. I'd replace it with a $50K Eurovan if I were a wealthy man.

Yikes, I think that it takes a lot less time then 30 minutes to open those cooling flaps. I would guess it's more like 3 - 5 minutes. If it was my bus I wouldn't dare wire the flaps shut, especially since the fail position is open. Just go fix your bus already!

I knew you guys would roast me!

I wasn't saying opening/shutting the flaps takes 30 minutes. My daily morning drive takes 20-30 minutes... dropping the kids at school(s) and then over to my work. Small town. And my evening drive is about 7 minutes. That's about all the driving I ever do in my bus. When my wife's home, I take her Subaru everywhere.

I do wish I had 3-4 days free (truly free) to work on my bus and get it all caught up. Not for the fun of it, but just the peace of mind. But free time ain't in the cards for me. Gonna be a few more years.

[Sylvester]

But free time ain't in the cards for me. Gonna be a few more years.

Amen brother!

[Velokid1]

We'll get back there before we know it.

And then we'll be bored and looking for additional hobbies.

[vdubyah73]

I went through my bus when I first got it 5 years ago. Resurrected it after the po's engine fire. Repaired rust, went through the brakes, spliced another wiring harness into it for everything that had melted and rebuilt the engine, with a guru looking over my shoulder. 4 1/2 years later, this year, repair more rust, replace m/c, and new exhaust. Will be doing ball joints next week. Probably won't have to do much of anything, except maintenance, for the next 4 years. It is my year round daily driver and Ive put about 35K on it since I got it. Point being, once you've got it squared away it's a damn reliable piece of machinery. I consider mine as reliable as anything else you can get today. It totes my daughter back and forth to college a couple times a year, 8 hr round trip, and I've never had to pay anyone to fix it. I don't work on it out of love, I'm actually kinda burnt out on wrenching on it, but did I say I never have to pay anybody to fix it or that it's a damn reliable car.

[RSorak 71Westy]

Leave them open, they do not control engine temp like a water cooler thermostat. The main function of the t stat and flaps is to get the engine up to operating temp ASAP, as the proper cylinder head bolt torque depends on a hot engine. If you wire them close your engine will effectively have no cooling and run way too hot.

[Randy in Maine]

I think I might have an extra pulley and stuff that goes with it in the shop.

If you want them, they are yours HOWEVER you have to agree to actually put those on the bus.

Is that NOS thermostat in your stash one of the ones that we scored a few years ago for cheap?

[hambone]

Bill is right, once you get them dialed in they are a very reliable piece of machinery. Astounding, really. Zen duties, man. Ya gotta smile and find the smile chopping %$#%)#%)% wood. Deep down you know what a pain in the ass it is, but then the balance within the equation gives a deep sense of satisfaction once things are really running right. No struggle, no gain. Yep.

[Velokid1]

I went through my bus when I first got it 5 years ago. Resurrected it after the po's engine fire. Repaired rust, went through the brakes, spliced another wiring harness into it for everything that had melted and rebuilt the engine, with a guru looking over my shoulder. 4 1/2 years later, this year, repair more rust, replace m/c, and new exhaust. Will be doing ball joints next week. Probably won't have to do much of anything, except maintenance, for the next 4 years. It is my year round daily driver and Ive put about 35K on it since I got it. Point being, once you've got it squared away it's a damn reliable piece of machinery. I consider mine as reliable as anything else you can get today. It totes my daughter back and forth to college a couple times a year, 8 hr round trip, and I've never had to pay anyone to fix it. I don't work on it out of love, I'm actually kinda burnt out on wrenching on it, but did I say I never have to pay anybody to fix it or that it's a damn reliable car.

I am starting to feel a little defensive about my bus, so I guess I do love her more than I put on.

She's very reliable. And she doesn't get enough credit for it. She runs like a champ and I only have to get my hands dirty with her 1-2x per year. My complaint is that I only have to get my hands dirty on our 2004 Subaru like once every 2 years. LOL

[Velokid1]

The main function of the t stat and flaps is to get the engine up to operating temp ASAP, as the proper cylinder head bolt torque depends on a hot engine. If you wire them close your engine will effectively have no cooling and run way too hot.

Thank ya. But that's what I'm saying: since it's gotten c-c-cold in the mornings, she isn't up to temp by the time I get to work (after a 20 minute drive), even if she idles in the driveway for 10 minutes before I leave.

And the idling in the driveway thing, by the way, doesn't fall in line with my ecological principles, but that's another story.

[Velokid1]

I think I might have an extra pulley and stuff that goes with it in the shop.

If you want them, they are yours HOWEVER you have to agree to actually put those on the bus.

Is that NOS thermostat in your stash one of the ones that we scored a few years ago for cheap?

The very same one. And in spite of the fact that it's still an NOS t-stat, I very much appreciate the favor you did me back in... heck, I think it was the Samba days.

Promising that I can find the hours needed to install the t-stat and pulley makes me very, very nervous. Keep in mind that I installed a climbing wall at my kid's elementary school this year... I just finished it this weekend even though I started the project in May. Hours are at a premium in our house right now.

If I am successful at getting a dispensary license, that may change.

[airkooledchris]

there is a bracket for the thermostat, one little bolt for the pulley, then a screw that holds the cable from the thermostat, around the pulley, to the flaps themselves.

even if ALL of it is missing, if you have all the parts to install it, it's STILL a 20 minute job. that probably includes cleanup.

seriously. I take twice as long to do a lot of things, but this is so simple it's seriously less work than anything else your considering.

also, warming up a bus is better done by driving it than sitting in the driveway just idling. ideally you would crank it over and just start driving, albeit not pushing it very hard.

[Velokid1]

Interesting about the warm-up. Do others concur?

The other piece I'm missing and has seemed tricky to find is the spring for the flaps. Anybody know an online vendor that sells the same type of spring?