Thermostat Bracket Modification To Accept New Style Thermo

[Bug53]

Spring keeps them open. T-stat closes them when cold

[Mark's 68]

As long as you are not driving in extremely cold weather and original bellows thermostats cannot be found,I would not entertain the idea of installing a Mexican thermostat. It is equivilant to driving around with a ticking time bomb. By the time you realize it has failed closed you will have done some serious damage to your engine. I do understand the benefits of having an operational thermostat but these benefits do not outweigh the risk of not having a fail safe system like the original design. I think the consequences of driving in a warm climate without a functioning thermostat have been greatly exaggerated. Remember, aircooled 911s do not have a thermostat and flaps. Late model aircooled Mexican beetles did away with them as well. Unless somebody makes a fail safe thermostat that will work in our cars we will have to decide what is better living with the consequences of a longer warmup or cooking an engine with a non fail safe system.

[crvc]

Thanks for all the help. In case I want to use the old style someday I hacksawed the top off so it can be welded back on.

crvc

[Eric&Barb]

[zerotofifty]

so if these new thermostats fail closed, we fry our motors, no thanks.

we should get the word out, that these are NO GOOD if they can fry your motor by being stuck open. If all you have is the stock idiot light for oil temp, you will have toasted your valves before you see the oil pressure drop. the heads will heat up first and fast. the oil willtake a long time to get hot enough to loose enough viscosity to warn of the dead thermostat.

bad news

[capeoddboy]

I will be sure to find the old style.

I really like your quote about veterans.

Thanks from a Vet,
Tim

[Russ Wolfe]

But, if the new style fails , it holds the shutters closed. The spring on the linkage cannot hold them open, against a stuck thermostat.
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Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey

Gary: OK. Ima poop.

[capeoddboy]

I checked on a spare dog house and compared that to mine in the car. The spring is holding the flaps open. Thanks, Tim

[KTPhil]

Well, stay tuned, because it's been 20 years since I took my Bug apart. Get a "second opinion."

[capeoddboy]

Thanks. I thought some previous posts said the spring held the flaps closed.

[KTPhil]

The flap spring works to keep them open. The thermostat works against that spring when it is cold.

[capeoddboy]

If I have no thermostat installed ( I will install it soon ) and the spring on the flaps is installed, am I running with the flaps closed?

Also, if I take the spring off will that cure the cooling problem until I can get the proper rod and thermostat installed?

Thanks,
Tim

[Russ Wolfe]

The original style thermostats are available, but at about $80.
The mexican thermostats DO fail in the closed position.


I have a few good used thermostats available.
I even went to an auction a while back and bid on 3 rusted out hulks because the thermostats were still in the cars.
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Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey

Gary: OK. Ima poop.

[39coupe]

What are the ramification's of removing the flaps and thermo? Can anything be harmed by doing this or is it like removing the thermo from a water cooled vehicle, it just takes longer for the engine to warm up?

I'm rather new to the Air cooled engines, I have 2 1200 engines and rebuilt 1, it had the flaps and the thermo the other has no flaps and no thermo. When I rebuilt I put the flaps in with the thermo which I probably need to replace.
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Aircooled Addicts

'65 Beetle (red)
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'39 Chevy Coupe

[RevKevin]

Any idea how many mods would be required to fit it onto the type 4 setup?

[Jody '71]

So, as of now, when you go to a VW dealership and get the 111-119-159A and open the box, you get the Mexican new style?? Or can you specify the old original bellows style? The last time I ordered this part from my local dealership it was still active, but not in stock. This was the original bellows style. They had to order it, I got my order in one day. I ordered 2. They were $54.62 a piece. This was April 2006. So is the original bellows style no longer made by VW???
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'66 Beetle
2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring

[johnanddes]

Dave from vw-resource.com has a mexican style installed and is pleased. Here is the link:

http://www.vw-resource.com/thermostat.html

I tihnk he did the same thing you did as far as the bracket.
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John

1969 documented numbers matching bug
1968 F250


Keepin the ISS from colliding with space junk

[Jeff Geisen]

... agreed, the spring type thermostat fails closed. The return spring on the shutter linkage bar keeps the shutters closed when cold, keeps the fan from blowing them open too soon.

IMHO, the new style thermo gives a false savings over the bellows style, which was designed to make the cooling system fail safe.
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‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[John M.]

[Kris Styes]

I got my from Wooster VW in Salina, Ks.

Kris
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