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[Nobbc] How a thermostat works.

To: "North Bay British Car Club" <nobbc@autox.team.net>
Subject: [Nobbc] How a thermostat works.
From: "Clif & Deborah Williamson" <hawkview@sonic.net>
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:27:38 -0700
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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