OK, I've got a naive question. It's about thermostats. I
figured this had to be the best group to ask :-)
Are all thermostats pretty much equal? I used to think so. I
figured the only things that are important are physical size, the
temperature they open, and how much flow they allow.
It seems there are exceptions to the "standard" thermostat. The
TR7/8 thermostat is completely standard except for a "jiggle pin"
(which I assume is where air bubbles get by). Today I saw
something I'd never seen before. My wife's Honda needed a new
thermostat. I went down and got the genuine article from the
dealer. Almost $9! It LOOKED beautiful. Even had a jiggle pin.
Hmmm. What's this? Two springs? The guy explained to me it was
a two-stage thermostat. Most of the thermostat is open at normal
operating temp but if the car gets really hot, the thermostat
opens even more.
Why would Honda build such a fancy thing? (Civics aren't prone
to overheating). Think such a two-stage stat would be better at
controlling engine coolant temps than a "standard" one? Can
anyone think of a reason why you couldn't put one of these into,
say, a TR7 which IS prone to overheating (my brother's car)?
Hmmmm.
jim
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