Hotting up - replacing a VW Thermostat

Air colled VW thermostat
Originally uploaded by Phil_Parker.

What else is there to do on Easter Monday other than to get a bit grubby replacing part of a VW engine ?

Since the motive power for my van was replaced a couple of years ago, I’ve run it without the thermostat to give the maximum cooling air. New engines run hot and the mechanic who installed the lump suggested that this would be best. Long term this isn’t a good option as on short runs the engine isn’t warming up properly.

Let’s face it, if VW could have saved a few marks by leaving it out, they would have done. This isn’t an optional part.

I acquired the replacement part for free recently. Unfortunately it needed repair. The remains of the rod that the thermostat screws onto were still in the top. I drilled this out and re-tapped the hole with a 4 X 0.7 tap. The bracket was already re-painted so all (!) I did was assemble the parts. The vanes in the air system made the right noise when I pulled the system together putting the part in. Once it warms up an expands they will move to allow full airflow. I have checked the bellows expand by blasting them with a hair dryer while it was on the bench.

Not a bad job. I wasn’t rushing and only took an hour to do it. Hopefully I’ll find that my engine is warming up and running better on those short runs.