[Healeys] Fw: thermostat discussion - Part 2

[Greg Lemon]

I am certainly not a thermodynamics expert, but my experience with Healeys 
and other British cars is consitent with Steve's the thermostat serves to 
bring the engine up to operating temp faster, but once there the inherent 
limits of the cooling system capacity and ambient temp determine temp not 
the thermostat.

In fact for those of us that drove the cars around in temparate climates 
year round back in the day, the thermostat switch from winter to summer 
served the purpose of warming the car up faster and and getting a little 
warmer "mouse breath" out of the heater in the winter, and not to keep the 
car cooler in the summer.  And through my own use and experience I found out 
swapping from the 195 or 180 "winter" thermostat to the 160 degree "summer" 
thermostat did not make the car run any cooler in the summer, but the winter 
thermostat made the car run warmer and better (and a warmer heater!) in the 
winter.

Greg Lemon