[TR] Balanced Thermostats

[Nolan]

Really the thermostat only needs to open and close in response to 
temperature changes, not engine rpm.

The big marketing claims for the balanced sleeve thermostat is the claims of 
phantom pressure pulses in the cooling system as a result of suddenly 
revving up an engine, or revving it down.  Supposedly this can create 
remarkable pulses in the cooling system that blow the thermostat open or 
closed. I call them phantom pressure pulses because I've never seen them in 
any engines cooling system.

I'd suggest you try to force a thermostat open or closed with your hands 
some time.

A thermostat does not blow open or closed.  There are no wild pulses in a 
cooling system from revving the engine up or down.  Nor are there hyper fast 
temperature changes in the coolant as a result.

The closest I can come to liking some higher end thermostats, including some 
of the balanced types is the tapered flow vs the poppet opening of cheaper 
ones.  The poppet action works well enough, but a tapered unit can do a 
better job of stabilizing and not having as much swing.  A swing which 
normally is no more than the width of the needle on the temperature gauge.