Thermostat and airflow question

[Meltedbutter]

I have a 74 thing with a stock motor. It has all the engine tin and the fan turns. I wouldn't say that the engine compartment is completely sealed off from the outside world, there are no heat exchangers, so the fresh air tubes just go to a hole. I could add a picture of my original bellows type thermostat - it is expanded, and not doing it's job. I feel like the engine runs hot using the poor man's temperature test - can I hold the dipstick. It is hot, but my last aircooled VW was a dune buggy completely open to the world so I am not a good judge to
be sure I have an issue or not. Here is my question: If i remove the Thermostat, should I keep the rod that connects it in the up position until I figure out a replacement scenario? Seems like it expands and pushes the rod up, so up is good, right? I live in So Cal and it isn't getting cold any time soon.

Would anyone recommend the Gene Berg dipstick temperature solution for checking the temp?

Thanks.

[Matt Wilson]

It sounds like you have heater ducts but no heat exchangers, and the ducts are dumping cooling air?? Why don't you try blocking off the heater ducts, since they are just dumping cooling air away into the 'hole'? That would probably fix a lot of your issues.

The thermostat rod and bellows are there, but are you certain the flaps are there? Spring? everything moves? Worst case, it should fail in the 'hot' position. If it's all there, try to find a new thermostat.
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1972 Standard Beetle
1969 Baja Beetle

[Meltedbutter]

So block off the tubes that would be supplying the heater, leave the rest so that more air is available to blow over the engine?

The rod that drives the flaps moves freely and I hear things moving up in there. I can order one of the replacement thermostats and install it, though I read that they fail in the closed position, not the open which seems bad...

I guess I thought a good test would be to keep them open (rod in up position) and see if there was a temp change. With your thought to close off the heater hoses, maybe that will be even better.

[Meltedbutter]

I took the fresh air hoses off and the shroud already had plugs in it!

[Al Capulco]

That rod should be spring loaded and stay in the up position with the thermostat disconnected.

[Wildthings]

If you are not running heater boxes, the best thing you can do is find a '73 shroud and run it. Supposedly blocking off the outlets on a '74 Thing shroud or on a Beetle shroud will disrupt the air flow inside the shroud so the cooling air flow over the engine is lessened.

[RWK]

The thermo fails and opens the flaps, the system is spring loaded as Al said but I wouldn't rely on that, leave the failed thermo installed as it's designed that way, fail safe mode, until you replace or change it.
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73 Type 181
63 Type 113
63 Type 261- 428 071
62 Type 241-378 025 178 530

[Buggeee]

http://www.awesomepowdercoat.com/thermostat_new_used_rebuilt.html

There is a link to Awesome Powdercoat, where you can buy a proper brand new thermostat that is built like the original, meaning it fails in the open position.
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1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764