[TR] Skirted thermostats

[Hdefer]

> The skirt does nothing until the thermostat opens, and then it only  
> improves
> cooling (if in fact it does anything at all).

The way I understand it, the manufacturer intended the skirt to  
function as a diverter valve, i.e.:
1     prior to the thermostat opening, the coolant by-passes the  
radiator such that it heats up quickly, but still  provide sufficient  
flow to prevent harmful hotspot heating up of the engine.
  2	When the thermostat starts opening, more coolant is diverted to  
the radiator until (nearly all) the coolant passes through the radiator.

My concern is, that merely permanently restricting the bypass flow is  
likely to be more harmful in the long run during cold winters while  
the thermostat is closed for longer periods and then still reduces the  
flow through the radiator during our hot summers which so easily  
causes overheating in those marginal radiators.
Hans.


On Nov 25, 2011, at 5:15 PM, Randall wrote:

>> This made me conclude that
>> skirts should not only be on the fairer sex and Scotsmen but also on
>> TR3 thermostats.
>
> The skirt does nothing until the thermostat opens, and then it only  
> improves
> cooling (if in fact it does anything at all).  So switching to a  
> skirted
> thermostat will only help because your old thermostat is defective.   
> A new
> $5 non-skirted thermostat will work just as well to solve your  
> running cold
> problem.
>
> Someone, I think maybe it was XKs Unlimited, used to sell a  
> thermostat which
> was a RobertShaw type thermostat (with an outer sleeve that moves)  
> plus a
> skirt.  So it should be doable yourself, if you really want to.
>
> -- Randall