All of you have made the excellent point that engine cooling is a much
bigger issue than just the thermostat, reminding me that guarding against
overheating with every consideration is probably the safe bet. I want to
point out that Bill Babbit made his own cardboard airducts for his car out
of a plastic so that rain doesn't demolish them so easily as the originals.
I think I'll e-mail Ken Gillanders at British Frame and Engines to see if he
has the Smith's skirted thermostat that Fred Thomas mentions. Since my name
is Terry Smith, it seems obvious to me that this brand of thermostat must
work harder and be better looking than any of the alternatives....
Thank you all. Let's fight overheating by degrees!
Terry Smith
'59 TR3A (Off the frame and in pieces, but they're cleaned, rebuilt or
replaced to an increasing degree!)
-----------------------------
> IMO, neither the sleeve nor Teri-Ann's fix are necessary for a cooling
> system in good shape otherwise. There is evidence that even the factory
> came around to this view eventually ... late TR4s were delivered with
> non-sleeved thermostats and the bypass open.
>
>
> Be sure the cardboard air duct is in place, and in good condition. The
> factory apparently did not install these on early 3A's, but I believe they
> were an approved retrofit. Don't recall the change-over offhand, just
that
> TS39781LO is before. (And yes, it was made in late 58 but during the 1959
> model year.)
>
> Randall
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