On Fri, 2011-06-03 at 20:59 -0500, Tom Hargrave wrote:

> A cooler thermostat is a quick fix for a lot of ails but it rarely solves
> anything.
>
> A lower temperature thermostat will open sooner causing the engine to run
> cooler & consume more gas. It will also cause the engine to wear out faster,
> again because it's running cooler.

Okay, so this brings up something I'm wondering about.

A while back, after replacing the thermostat in my 1984 1.9L, I was
surprised to see that the temp gauge was reading to the left of the
lamp, not centered on it, as I was accustomed to.

I asked the vendor (Bus Depot? Van Again? -- don't recall) what kind of
thermostat they sent, and they said they sent the lower temperature 80C
one, instead of the 87C one. As a favor.

I really didn't want to take the darn water pump out to replace the
thing so I've had it in there since.

I asked Steve, of Steve's Place, here in Bend, Ore., what he thought and
he said, "the higher temp one was to pass emissions in California. The
engine will last longer with the lower temp one."

Well, I didn't know so I set that matter aside.

Earlier this year, I took the van to Gary Young, of Young's Ole Volks
Home (also Bend, Ore.) and asked him the same question. "Lower temp one
is better for the engine," he said.

Gary has a decent reputation as a mechanic.

So, while camping this week, I'm cleaning out the parts bin and find two
thermostats: an 80C one, and an 87C one. Causing me to wonder about this
subject once again. Set them aside to trigger a post to this group.

Into your lap I toss this.

Sign me as "puzzled," someone who does not know who to believe.

--
Rocky J Squirrel