TEA Thermostat

For your information the TEA's thermostat fits in a housing and not in the top rad hose. Also it would appear that many different thermostats will fit, I tried one from a Nissan Multi I had and it fit too. The bolt holes in the gasket were a bit off but by making them oblong too it would work.

There was an old thermostat in place but it had malfunctioned and had stuck open. It was made by Smith's motor accessories ltd. England, Part# X85035'60. It's rather odd looking.

And now for the fun part. I used a 1/2" socket and ratchet on one bolt and promptly broke it. Don't you just love it when that happens? The other bolt was stuck solid too and would not move either, even with heat from my torch. I ended up grinding the head of that bolt off and had to drill and tap both holes. Aluminum and steal seem to weld together over time. Any how all is well again, just more time and aggravation to deal with.

Take care
Glenn

We think alike. I did use stainless steel bolts.

Take care Glenn

The original thermostat is 140 degrees. I looked around and could only find 160 in generic auto parts stores at least, but I did have a NOS 140 that I put in. In the big parts manual it tells you that for winter use you should block off the grill with cardboard, or reverse the fan blades so it will be less effective, so surely 160 will be good at least till spring. I wonder why they don't recommend changing thermostats like they always used to do with cars?

This all makes me wonder - if you have the "wrong" temperature thermostat, should you switch to a different heat range of spark plug?
Jim W.

Take Care

Norm in Ont.

???
Jim W

Regards,

Norm in Ont.

Or maybe.

When all else fails refer to the manual. Mine shows that a 140 degree F. bellows type thermostat is required. I hope that the more modern spring type will be acceptable too.

The bellows type was supposed to crack open between 133 and 147 degrees F. and be fully open at 171 degrees F.

It also says " A constant high coolant temperature assures long engine life, smooth idling, good acceleration and good load pick up."

I think I could do with a new thermostat too.

It continues" In cold weather, engine starting and operating will be greatly assisted if the hood grills are blanked off. Reversing the fan will also considerably reduce the air flow through the radiator and help maintain a high coolant temperature in cold climates."

It doesn't say anything about the spark plugs. Perhaps we are getting to technical.

So with this info, I think that my new 160 degree thermostat will be all right in my Northern Alberta cold climate. The needle on my temp gauge now moves into the green zone. I'm not going to reverse the fan though, I like the way it now blows that warm air from the rad back at me. The wind chill factor was quite high before.

Enjoy
Glenn