[T3] heater thermostats

[Dennis Stiefel]

There seems to be a LOT of misunderstanding about how this system works. The
thermostats in those boxes are there to mix cool air with the heated air in
order to give you MORE heated air at reasonable temps, once the engine gets
warmed up. Hence the name mixer box. If you don't have the ~1" hoses in
place, hot air will spill OUT of the mixer box elbows once the air gets to
the thermostat opening temperature, thus robbing you of heat in the
passenger compartment. 
If everything else is working well, it's possible that the thermostats
themselves could be overheated and come unsoldered, but I don't think
there's any risk of burning paint anywhere.

The thermostats are okay unless you can look at them and see that they are
expanded even when cool. This is exactly the same as the engine thermostats.
Dead ones are often referred to as "popped." If you want to test them, you
should bolt them into a spare engine thermostat holder and drop them into
water that you heat on the stove. The holder will keep them from
overexpanding and hurting themselves.

If the whole system is there and working right, even with the mixer boxes
working right, reducing the heater output temperature, Type 3 heaters will
still put out very hot air, especially into the rear footwells.  

For best results, you want those ~1" cool air flex tubes to be in place. I
have them in stock and they are cheap, $15/pr plus shipping. 
Treat them with care and they will last forever. Note that you will have to
have the ~1" steel pipes that carry that air forward thru the engine tin in
order to install the flex hoses.

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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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OK we'll check it out.  I have some left over 1" heater hose from my school
bus wrench turning days so I think that will work.

Dennis


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