>Now you've got me worried. Some authorities (such as Bob Schaller in "More
>BS About TR's") say to close off the bypass hose completely, and that's
>what I recently did. Is there a problem with that? Can it cause damage to
>the engine? What's the collective wisdom of the listers?
Sumner,
I'd recommend a 1/4 inch hole in the restrictor, as you want some water
circulating through the engine when the thermostat is closed to prevent, or
minimize, localized overheating and boiling at the hot spots within the
engine, especially within the head.
I've considered putting a few small holes in the thermostat itself and
blocking the bypass, but whether this will work is purely conjecture on my
part. I haven't really thought it out well yet, but I think it may be the
best solution. It has the best of both worlds:
Thermostat open - no bypass flow at all, everything goes to the radiator,
Thermostat closed - minimal water flowing through the thermostat holes.
True, in really cold weather, the engine may have trouble heating up, but
how often do we take these cars out in really cold weather. I run mine
into the 40F's pretty regularly in the fall, but not much lower than that.
Although... New Years Day was my last ride last year and it was the low
20F's. ;-)
Later,
Jack Brooks
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