Greetings!
Hopefully this will help clear a few things up regarding the use of Winter
Thermostats. After living in Manitoba for a period of some 40 years thus 40
odd winters I believe that I can make fair comment regarding Winter
Thermostats.
A lot of old vehicles used 160' thermostats in the summer and 180'
thermostats in the winter requiring that they be changed on a seasonal
rotation. However over the years higher temperature Thermostats have become
available, based on such things as efficiency of engine operation related to
higher operating temperatures, they have gotten up to the 195' range which,
as least up here, are used year round. As long as the diameter of the
thermostat body is the same as the fit ring in the thermostat housing any
temperature thermostat can be used. Based on experience, and taking into
consderation winter temperatures, there should be no problem upping the
thermostat from a 180' to a 195'. It will make the engine run warmer and
also help increase heat output of the heater.
There was a comment made in one of the replys to this topic that referenced
changing from a 7 psi to 14 psi Radiator cap. If you are running a
vehicle, such as an AD with either the 216 or 235 or even 261, the system is
designed to run on 7 psi. DO NOT change the cap up to a higher pressure.
There is no need to. Make sure that your coolant mix is approximately 50/50
Glycol/water, that your system is tight (no leaks) and that your Radiator
cap relieves at it's set pressure. This can be checked at any garage or
Rad. Shop.
There was also reference made to covering half of the rad. This is a very
quick way to create problems with both your cooling fan and water pump.
Covering half of the rad tends to make the fan work half in air flow and
half out of airflow which very drastically load and unloads the blades of
the fan as the engine is running. The more acceptable way to use cardboard
is to 1. cover the grill, which blocks direct air flow to the rad but still
allows air in on an even basis or, preferably, 2. cover the rad completely
and cut a hole in the cardboard so that it is in line with the center of the
fan. Start with approximately a 4" square hole and monitor your engine
temperature as you drive. If you find that it is running hot increase the
size of the hole by 1/2" increments until you find the size of the opening
that gives you the temperature that you want. This way if you find that you
are experiencing colder weather and the temperature is going down you can
close the hole down with pieces of cardboard and duct tape. This system
works exceptionally well and does not have a negative effect on the fan
blades.
One final comment if your are operating your vehicle in temperatures of 0'F
or -20'C or above you should NOT need to cover the rad. With temperatures
in this range, if you have the rad covered and the temperature starts to
come up you will end up overheating the engine.
Good Luck
Keep on WINTER truckin
Mac
52 Chev 1300
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