Thermostat

............It's not true with my L-Jetronic bug but many of the more complex EFI systems that have come along since will retard the ignition timing during warm-up. This might be the most effective measure of them all to get an engine up to temp.

could be...im no expert...can only regurgitate what i have read,a nd what makes sense....one thing i am pretty certain of, vw losing the thermostat on later fi models(at the changeover for the type 2 in other countries with the type 1 engine) is not due to weather.....personally i don't give a rat's ass whether others run a thermo and flaps, because i have BTDT, and suffer NONE of the problems i had now that i do run them...i try to learn from my expensive fuckups....i really hope no one takes anyone at their word, but that it may give them enough food for thought to do their own research, then deside what is best for *them*....

I meant that the new VW "replacement" carburetor engines should never be run without the thermostat. When the cars were built with carb engines, they had thermostats, but the replacements don't. The only difference with the original and replacement engines is that the new ones have long reach spark plugs (same as on FI unit).

Thank you very much. This makes perfect sense. I have now restored my thermostat mechanism, and it is functioning normally.

Smart move. Your engine will thank you for this by providing additional mileage. One of the last things I check, after putting an engine together, is the function of the thermostat. Which is easy to do with any standard hair dryer. Blowing warm air onto the thermostat will expand the thermostat bellows and verify the operation.

I have noticed that many of the custom made fan shrouds are not manufactured for air vanes/thermostat. On those shrouds I drill out the necessary holes for the air vanes.

Not much help when the inside of the shroud has no vanes, or at least not the ones VW designed.

I'm glad I did it; happy to have it done, as for the few days the system was disabled, I worried about it continually, after making a large investment of money and time in the installation of the new engine and all new components of ignition and fuel system.

It would have been a shame to induce premature wear to the new engine.

I hope I did no damage in those few days, as the temperature has generally been in the 30s and 40s around here recently.

Randall Brink

Granted, you will have to locate your own set of air vanes. One good place to look is any auto salvage yard which has VW bugs. And standard VW air vanes will fit an after-market fan shroud.

I was speaking of the vanes built into the shroud. They comprise a complex array of paths for the air inside the shroud.

Yup, and a Big difference they make too.. Without, there's just an empty shell, like farthing into way to big underwear, never know where it's gona go.. :o]

J.