TheSamba.com :: View topic - Thermostat Expansion Limited by Bracket it Seems

Wed Apr 03, 2024 5:32 pm

When I got my bus it had no cooling system of any kind (the thermostat, its bracket, the pulley, cable, and flaps were all missing).

I have purchased all the necessary bits and installed it. I got a new thermostat from the Awesome Powdercoat guys along with the bracket, cable, and such.

With everything mounted, I thought I'd test the flap movement out by using a heat gun on the thermostat. Between room temp and hot there really isn't much in the way of expansion possible without hitting the bracket, which it appears to be doing. Not surprising, the flaps only move like 20 degrees tops. Do I have this thing installed incorrectly or something? These pics are of "full expanded" because the thermostat is touching the bracket on both sides:

In this pic, when cold the flap was against the little bump out on the fan housing:

Wed Apr 03, 2024 7:48 pm

Show us a photo of the cold thermostat. I might be wrong, but it looks like your thermostat is going to be too long even when cold to allow the full range of flap motion.

Wed Apr 03, 2024 7:56 pm

Also, I think the bottom of the thermostat should be flush with the bracket. The square spacer should be on the other side of the bracket.

Wed Apr 03, 2024 8:40 pm

VWLover77 wrote: Also, I think the bottom of the thermostat should be flush with the bracket. The square spacer should be on the other side of the bracket.

That’s what I thought too!
But it doesn’t fit on the outside because it won’t fit between the star and the bend in the bracket:

That would give me 2 more mm probably. Plus I’m seeing that the bracket mounting holes are slotted so I can widen the bracket opening, too.

Here is the “cold” length:

Looks a bit long but I think that’s how it came.

Wed Apr 03, 2024 9:09 pm

That bellows is much too extended for being in the "cold" position. The
convolutions should be just about touching, with hardly any gaps when cold.

Wed Apr 03, 2024 11:34 pm

If you didn’t have the bracket to limit expansion, the bellows would be damaged. Stick yours in the freezer and see if it contracts all the way. If not, you have a bad one

Thu Apr 04, 2024 3:27 am

It’s lost its charge of isopropyl alcohol, I think.

Thu Apr 04, 2024 3:37 am

This it what it should look like cold. This is mine.

Thu Apr 04, 2024 5:59 am

crownline wrote:

This it what it should look like cold. This is mine.

Shit - mine definitely doesn't look like that.

Abscate wrote:
It’s lost its charge of isopropyl alcohol, I think.

If I shake it I can still hear the alcohol sloshing around, but I would say it's cashed.

I'll reach out to the Awesome Powercoat fella and see about getting a new one...

Can anyone confirm that the black square "washer" should go on the OUTSIDE of the bracket rather than the inside of the bracket?

Thu Apr 04, 2024 6:32 am

are you sure you didn't use a heat gun to test the bellows without the bracket installed?

Thu Apr 04, 2024 6:42 am

aeromech wrote: are you sure you didn't use a heat gun to test the bellows without the bracket installed?

Uhh, no.

Thu Apr 04, 2024 6:45 am

Here's a Type 1 NOS thermostat.

Thu Apr 04, 2024 9:58 am

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7808409

Thu Apr 04, 2024 10:19 am

Yes the square washer goes on the outside of the bracket. Then the hold down bolt.

Thu Apr 04, 2024 10:52 am

I took a look back at pics when I first got the stuff from Awesome Powdercoat, and the thermostat is definitely properly compressed compared to now...