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Re: Thermostat Selection in Hot climates

To: Patton Dickson <kpdii@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Thermostat Selection in Hot climates
From: Dave & Marlene <rusd@velocitus.net>
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 17:34:12 -0600
Hi Patton,

Patton Dickson wrote:
> A little follow up on this.
> 
> A fact on the Healey that I forgot to mention is that the gauge on the car
> does not return all the way to 90, bit sticks at 120.  It moves smoothly up
> from that point, but does sometimes stick on the way down, but a tap on the
> gauge drops it back down.  

I don't think that the gage not fully returning is much of a problem.
> 
> I have also assumed that the temperature would still be correct as the
> expansion in the tube that moves the needle would push it to it's maximum,
> which is where the concern of accuracy was.  I have been assuming that the
> return spring was dirty and a cleaning would help this. 

Don't know about the cleaning. You can check the car's gage by putting 
the sensor in a can of water & heating it with a propane torch. You can 
check intermediate temperatures by comparing to a candy/meat 
thermometer, but I have checked four different thermometers & they all 
read differently, as much as 10 degrees. You can pay more for a more 
accurate test thermometer but why bother.

> 
> I had on the shelf what I "knew" to be good dual gauges (both black face
> Smith GD1501/14's).  I just boiled a pot of water and put the bulbs of each
> into it.  One gauge reads 220 while the other reads 212. 

As above. Car gages are not laboratory accuracy. Not very surprising.
>  I called APT and
> they said that they don't just calibrate they only do full rebuild at $165
> YIKES!!!
> 
> Does anyone just clean and calibrate?

It sometimes takes a full rebuild to just "clean & calibrate.

> 
> Patton Dickson - Richmond, TX





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