I replaced my torn up rear thermostat seal and now my car SEEMS to run cooler on the dash temp gauge. I don't understand why this would be so even though others have noted the same thing. Can any one explain?

 

Ernest...you are opening a can of worms here! Thermostat operation is going to open the debate floodgates...AND - I am SURE many will disagree with me...BUT (or in my case - from an earlier problem and post..."Butt Plug" -&gt; see this post... <a href="http://forums.rennlist.com/forums/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=004872#000003" target="_blank">http://forums.rennlist.com/forums/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=004872#000003</a>

Simply - the sharks tstat works (sorta) in reverse...so - having the rear seal leaking causes a 'partially open' situation...allowing some coolant to bypass the engine and go back to the rad. (if the tstat is gone - everything goes thru the backside - effectively bypassing the engine and circulating thru the rad - conversely - with the rear 'butt plugged' and no tstat - it creates an alway open cooling system...constantly curculating the coolant thru the engine and back to the rad).

So - when you replaced the seal - you stopped the leaking. Now when your tstat is closed - it is not 'losing' the bypass of the proper flow...

I THINK....DAMMIT...this dang cooling theory give me headaches...it is kinda like thinking about "Infinity" too much!

Just click on that link I put in at the beginning - it will answer ALL your questions...and confuse the $hit out of you at the same time!!

YMMV!

 

Mark,
Thanks, I think.
Bottom line, it works.

 

Hey Ernest,

I actually just replaced mine last week after a battle with a cooling problem where it would heat up on the move and actually cool down a little when I stopped and this $15.00 little part (which was replaced after pulling the radiator to have it tested and many other things checked) made all the difference in the world. I have an electric fan hooked up to a switch and at night I hardly ever have to turn it on unless I am sitting still for a long time.

If only I would have done this when I did the thermostat, but mine was down to just metal and I didn't even realize it was there.

 

When the thermostat seals against the seat, all the water is sent through the radiator instead of recirculating through the block. This is why you cannot run without a thermostat. My seat is toast but the last time I was in there, I couldn't get the old one out and didn't want to damage the housing until I found out how. My car runs cool but I will be interested to see how much difference it makes after I replace it.
<img src="http://www.flash.net/~ego/thrmseat.jpg" alt=" - " />

 

Removing the inner seal can be a bit of a challenge. I used a 3' nail with the pointy end bent 270 degrees and with a pair of vice-grips to hold the nail, I pulled the edge upward. It worked well, and without scoring the casting.

 

Interesting. I took a peek at mine, since it it out, and found no inner seal at all. Should my older model have one?

 

Cobey - No, the older models don't have them.

 

Thanks Steve!

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Cobey:
<strong>Interesting. I took a peek at mine, since it it out, and found no inner seal at all. Should my older model have one?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Cobie,
The rubber seat was introduced from the 1984 model - Before there is only a alu-seat, but this can corrode, and then you have an even bigger problem! <img border="0" alt="[byebye]" title="" src="graemlins/wave.gif" />