Is This How Far A Thermostat Is Supposed To Open? (pics)

Looks okay to me.

Did you have a thermometer in the water to see when it opened?

 

guess you were just testing it, but without a thermometer it is just an 'open' test.

You are certainly going to replace it now? only a coupla bucks....might as well up grade to new.

 

WTF!!!!!!!!!!! guess I haven't shopped lately...

 

I just replaced mine and it was $68 for a Behr 'stat. Still 8X what a Chevy 'stat costs and you can't hardly tell them apart. But that is part of the fun!

But I have a question: Most thermostats I've played with have just one moveable part, just like you pictures show. But these have an additional plate on the bottom (at the top in your pictures, you're holding on to it). This plate blocks off an opening in the water pump body. Does this plate move as well, opening that port? Why? At what temperature?

 

I agree: unless the thermostat is beyond the properties of copper etc. I don't see the need to replace with a high end model, but, I could easily be wrong on this....F40/ok, but production Ferrari : Pepboys

 

Boiling water in an open container won't allow the water temp to reach the same temp that you'll have in a closed, pressurized radiator system. However, I'm not sure how much more the thermostat may open with higher radiator temps. Hard to tell how far open yours really is.

 

My 77 had about 22 k when i bought it. It seemed to run at about 150-160, never higher, unless it idled for a long time, then it would crep up to 190 and the fan would come on.

After reviewing a lot of posts, i began to believe in the "old lazy thermostat" syndrome, that it would not close fully- take forever to warm up and not controll the temp very well.

So, during the major service,doing the, fluids, belts and carbs, i took advantage of the empty cooling system to replace the thermostat, along with the hoses.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE....(I am only shouting because a new thermostat made such a difference in the speed of warm up and the proper temp attained, so quickly - almost like a normal car )

This also had a quickening effect on the oil warm up, because the engine reached 185 so quickly. This may not seem like much to you guys with fuel injection, but we carb guys are really trying to get rid of the condensation and fuel dilution in the oil.

IIRC, my thermostat was about $65 from Daniel at Ricambi, (it was a few years ago when i bought it, so be ready for a "price adjustment").

Bottom line, it is really nice to get the car warmed up in something like a normal time period, and perhaps more importantly, have it come up to the right temp.

 

Hi Tommy,

I've been thinking a bit more about it and it occurs to me that if a thermostat can be always partially open and never fully closed, as in the "lazy" slow to warm up thermostat, it might also be likely that the old bugger might not open as fully - and NEVER alow full, (Nominal or Designed), coolant flow, hence, a car that is prone to "overheating".

Might this be a contributor, to the oft perceived notion that 308s overheat a lot?

And if the thermostat is boucoup bucks and not often replaced...the ledgend continues.

Whaddathink??

chris

 

I just spent that much on a new thremo too,so I guess you and I are putting ferrari parts in our car and most of them are going to pep boys..........lol..........when it comes to the cooling system or machancal,or even the engine its oem for me

 

This bottom plate you are referring to, blocks that corresponding opening in the water pump housing as soon as the upper part opens.
Basically it's a two way valve, which shuts off the small circuit ( inside engine and heater system ) while the upper part opens the main circuit through the engine AND radiator.
That's also the reason, why the Owners Manual says; if you leave out the thermostat - often an emergency solution on other cars when it's stuck closed - there will be NO flow through the radiator.

Best Regards from Germany

Martin

 

Hey Guys!
I also just had to purchase a new thermostat for my QV. T rutlands quoted me a price of $256.00! just about wet myself! Lyle Tanner wanted $39.00. Didn't really need a gold plated thermostat so I purchased mine from Lyle.

 

The rated temperature of a thermostat is well below the boiling point of water.


A more important test is to verify the operation of the NEW thermostat before installing it.

It is legendary how many are defective right out of the box, I ALWAYS test a new one, on the stove with a thermometer in the water.

 

like me know how long it will last?good luck!

 

Coolant temps will vary. The water in a pressurized radiator system could get hotter than boiling water in a pan, because the radiator system is kept at a higher pressure by the radiator cap. If you're running the vehicle when it's 20 degF outside, the radiator system will have a lot easier time getting rid of engine heat, and the thermostat could even stay closed some of the time to keep the engine temp up. OTOH, if it's 110+ degF outside, and if the cooling system is not designed to handle the heat, actual coolant temps could get well over 212F and the engine could overheat.

You'll rarely be able to reach 212degF in a boiling pan since the actual raw barometric pressure measured with a standard mercury Fortin barometer is almost always lower than standard pressure of 14.7psia, and water will boil before the temp gets up to 212F. For those not aware, barometric pressures reported in weather programs, such as on TV, are not actual measured barometric pressures. They are measured pressures corrected back to standard conditions of sea level elevation, and a standard temperature of 59degF (IIRC)... not the actual temperature where the barometric pressure was measured. There's also even a latitude and longitude correction, believe it or not, which IIRC is to correct for changes in earth's gravity which can also affect weight of the atmosphere (and therefore barometric pressure).

 

I could be wrong on how thermostats work, but I always believed that the rated temp was where they started to open, but that with higher temps they could still open further. If the rated temp is for the full-open position, then they must start to open at a lower temp than that. Don't know what rated temps are available for our F cars, but assuming they're high enough, full-open temp could be higher than the temp you could reach in a boiling water pan. Mostly depends on actual barometric pressure that affects boiling temp of water in a pan.

 

Irondogmike Hello!
To change the thermostat takes around an hour,and the way I'm looking at it, I can replace it six times and still buy lunch for what you paid for yours. Paying more for a part in no way ensures its longevity. OEM fuse blocks-v- Birdmans comes to mind. Okay, flame suit on!

 

I think you're thinking too much A coolant thermostat is pretty low-tech. It begins to open near the set-point and should be pretty wide-open a few degrees later. I live at an elevation of around 1000 ft above sea level, water on the stove is boiling at around 210 degrees F (pretty close to textbook). Most thermostats are rated between 165-195 degrees F. It shouldn't be any problem to test them on the stove. I always start with cold water and bring them up slow like in an engine.

 

Well, let's see.... the barometric correction factor for 1000ft above sea level should be about....... Oh, never mind!

 

Cars oven overheat to 220°F without dire consequences.

If you've ever camped at 8 to 10,000 ft elevation, you find you can't boil water hot enough for a good cup of coffee or to boil eggs properly because the air pressure is lower. The 212°F is defined at sea level.

Conversely, when you raise the pressure, as in the car's cooling system, the temperature of boiling goes up. The cap determines the pressure and IIRC, a typically boils at 232°F.

 

you guys are right I'll learn what I should replace with oem and what I should stay with to replace,I know I have to replace the rotors and the oem part is $400 a corner thats $1600,but I found the exact just not the horsey box,same manufacture though for 1/2 the price guess which way I'm going