Thermostats

The Vintage Precision housing comes with a 160 thermostat. I put a 180 in mine. They are available at all parts stores.


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I like the fact you can remove the top half and especially have a port for a temp gauge and a port for water heater or a bypass filter. I'm thinking having 2 thermostats due to where I live. 160 for summer and 180 for winter.
 
Before I got my new radiator, and while on tour and having problems with it overheating in the mountains. 5 minutes on the side of the road and the thermostat was removed and back on the road.

Thanks to the VP housing.
 
OK dilemma here and need suggestions.

Mr Car
Set Point alternator
960 Miles on the car
Did the complete engine overhaul, rings etc
“B” Carb
“B” Distributor

at the beginning I had the stat 160 installed in the VP, always loved it but I was running around 185-195, when stopped i was 200...concerned me. This was April
SO i removed it and was then driving at 140-150..NOW i have been driving all the time, temps are in the high 60's low 70's in Illinois and I cannot get it above 130 degrees... What is the suggestion? do I put the Thermo BACK IN???? What say you Tom and the other folks please...
 
msmaron said:
OK dilemma here and need suggestions.

Mr Car
Set Point alternator
960 Miles on the car
Did the complete engine overhaul, rings etc
“B” Carb
“B” Distributor

at the beginning I had the stat 160 installed in the VP, always loved it but I was running around 185-195, when stopped i was 200...concerned me. This was April
SO i removed it and was then driving at 140-150..NOW i have been driving all the time, temps are in the high 60's low 70's in Illinois and I cannot get it above 130 degrees... What is the suggestion? do I put the Thermo BACK IN???? What say you Tom and the other folks please...
Click to expand...

It's only 4 bolts after draining 1-1/2 gallons. I'd put it back in and try it.
 
Tom Endy in post 16 brings up a good point. Namely, was the Model A designed properly to use an aftermarket thermostat ?

I really do not know the correct answer, but I do know that the Model A engine did not have a thermostat in the original motor. My 1933 Chev had a thermostat and as such, I'm wondering if Ford did not use a thermostat because the technology wasn't there in 1928 or did Ford design the engine to not use a thermostat...i.e. a combination of thermo-siphon and pumping ?

In the cold weather, I use a piece of cardboard between the stone guard and the radiator. Looks strange, but works.

Marc
 
My understanding is that Ford was slow to adopt new technologies unless they were really proven reliable. Reliable (wax pellet) thermostats didn't come along until the mid '30's and Ford adopted them right away. There was never any question that some sort of thermostatting was desirable. The thermodynamics relating heat cycle efficiency to maximum operating temperature and the desirability of driving corrosive blow-by combustion products out of the oil were well known. That's why the more expensive cars went to the trouble of rigging up elaborate thermally or mechanically operated shutter systems to be placed in front of the radiators. Also, once manufacturers moved from manifold and gasoline burning heaters to hot water heaters, the most uninformed users could "feel" the virtue of a well warmed up motor.

Chevy was also way ahead of Ford on hydraulic brakes, but they were so troublesome--sticking or leaking wheel cylinders--that for years Ford could promote its old mechanical brakes as a safety feature! They may have been perpetually in need of adjustments, but they never totally disappeared.

I too used to use a piece of cardboard, but was very pleased to get an actual thermostat!

Steve
 
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