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Re: [Nobbc] How a thermostat works.

To: North Bay British Car Club <nobbc@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Nobbc] How a thermostat works.
From: tony korman <tonykorman@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:56:10 -0700 (PDT)
Thanks for the education.  I have done the experiment with the thermostat in 
boiling water to check them in the past.  I think I understand the importance 
in 
the warm up process.  In Texas getting warm is not such problem in the summer. 
 Winter maybe
Thanks again
Tony  
76 TR6



________________________________
From: don <don@napanet.net>
To: nobbc@autox.team.net
Sent: Fri, July 23, 2010 12:05:34 PM
Subject: [Nobbc] How a thermostat works.

The trick with thermostats is to get the kind that fail open.  If 
they fail when closed, you risk the chance of cooking your engine.  I 
bought a '92 Integra GSR down in Redlands CA.  I took the train down 
there, being very confident that the car was going to be as nice as 
the seller stated.  It was.  I drove it home through the desert in 
100 degree summer heat, and had no problems.  However, a couple days 
later, I drove it to work from Calistoga to Santa Rosa.  Cool morning 
temps, and I noticed that the temperature gauge would go down to "C" 
when I descended hills.  The problem was that the thermostat had 
failed.  If the thermostat was working properly, the temp gauge would 
have stayed at "N" while going up hills, and going down.  Lucky for 
me, the thermostat was the type that failed open.  So no damage was 
done.  The older type of thermostat fails closed, and stops the flow 
of coolant, risking destroying the engine.


At 10:27 PM 07/22/2010, Clif & Deborah Williamson wrote:
>Tony.
>How a thermostat works.
> From google.
>Any liquid-cooled car engine has a small device called the 
>thermostat that sits between the engine and the radiator. The 
>thermostat in most cars is about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Its 
>job is to block the flow of coolant to the radiator until the engine 
>has warmed up. When the engine is cold, no coolant flows through the 
>engine. Once the engine reaches its operating temperature (generally 
>about 200 degrees F, 95 degrees C), the thermostat opens. By letting 
>the engine warm up as quickly as possible, the thermostat reduces 
>engine wear, deposits and emissions.
>
>If you ever have the chance to test one, a thermostat is an amazing 
>thing to watch because what they do seems impossible. You can put 
>one in a pot of boiling water on the stove. As it heats up, its 
>valve opens about an inch, apparently by magic! If you'd like to try 
>this yourself, go to a car parts store and buy one for a couple of bucks.
>
>The secret of the thermostat lies in the small cylinder located on 
>the engine-side of the device. This cylinder is filled with a wax 
>that begins to melt at perhaps 180 degrees F (different thermostats 
>open at different temperatures, but 180 F/82 C is a common 
>temperature). A rod connected to the valve presses into this wax. 
>When the wax melts, it expands significantly and pushes the rod out 
>of the cylinder, opening the valve. If you have read How 
>Thermometers Work and done the experiment with the bottle and the 
>straw, you have seen the same process in action. The wax happens to 
>expand a good bit more because it is changing from a solid to a 
>liquid in addition to expanding from the heat.
>
>Very cool,
>Clif 74 jensen healey
>--------------------------------------------------
>From: "tony korman" <tonykorman@sbcglobal.net>
>Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 4:09 PM
>To: "North Bay British Car Club" <nobbc@autox.team.net>
>Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Triumphs Only
>
>>I have always wondered why you need a thermostat for cars in Hot Weather. It
>>seems to me that they have such potential to stick and it seems 
>>they constrict
>>the water flow even when open.  Would love to understand the point.
>>Tony
>>76 TR6
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>________________________________
>>From: Mike Gianandrea <mvg1@verizon.net>
>>To: North Bay British Car Club <nobbc@autox.team.net>
>>Sent: Thu, July 22, 2010 2:10:07 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Triumphs Only
>>
>>Dean,
>>
>>Did you take out the thermostat? They can freeze up ya know. Simplest things.
>>
>>Michael
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Paige, Dean" <DPaige@srcity.org>
>>To: "'North Bay British Car Club'" <nobbc@autox.team.net>
>>Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 12:07 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Triumphs Only
>>
>>
>>>Radiator is recorded with only about 3000 miles on it at present. Clean as a
>>>whistle.  Water pump new with the rebuilt engine. In cool weather temp
>>>re-cored stays pegged. Belts tight. This really is a air flow issue. Really
>>>the whole drive train was completely redone within the last 6 
>>>years or so and
>>>there is only maybe 700 miles on it.
>>>
>>>Deano
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net [mailto:nobbc-bounces@autox.team.net] On
>>>Behalf Of Mike Gianandrea
>>>Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 10:45 AM
>>>To: North Bay British Car Club
>>>Subject: Re: [Nobbc] Triumphs Only
>>>
>>>Hey Dean,
>>>
>>>I lost a water pump on one of the club rides out to the coast, (good thing I
>>>carry water with me). I had no idea I had a problem until it just let go. I
>>>put in a new pump, and even left the old thermostat in. Now I 
>>>can't get my TR
>>>to get hot. You might want check the pump, or do a radiator flush.
>>>
>>>Michael
>>>64 TR4
>>>___________________
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