[DeTomaso] The Water Restrictor Plate Below the Thermostat

[Mike Drew]

Jack,

I buy thermostats for people all the time. Conventional OEM-style thermostats for the 351C cost the same as their Windsor counterparts, around $7.  It’s true that since Robertshaw discontinued their 351C model, if you want a Robertshaw thermostat you have to buy one that has been customized from a Windsor model, from Marlin Jack, and due to the amount of work involved, those are very expensive indeed!

The pressed-on ‘hat’ on the Cleveland thermostat adds to its diameter to partially (not fully) obstruct the orifice in the disc in the block, but I don’t believe it adds significantly to its height?  If that supposition is correct, then potentially either a Windsor or Cleveland thermostat could be blocked from fully opening if the disc in the block was solid.  There is a significant amount of vertical travel when the thermostat fully opens and although I never thought about it until now, and don’t have an engine to reference to test the hypothesis, it wouldn’t surprise me if you have hit on yet another disadvantage to modifying the cooling system in this manner. 

Mike

Sent from my iPad

> On Dec 2, 2018, at 00:03, Jack DeRyke via DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> wrote:
> 
>   With some brands of thermostats, if the recirculation port is closed
>   off with a plug (small vent hole or not) instead of the std brass ring,
>   the 351-C 'thimble' on the end of the thermostat may hit the plug
>   before the thermostat fully opens. This could in turn restrict the main
>   water flow and cause water temps to be a bit higher. Plus, it's a waste
>   of money- the 351C thermostat is significantly more expensive than a
>   generic Windsor thermostat. Easy fix: try a Windsor and see!
>   My 2A-c-- J DeRyke
> 
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: Mike Becker <mikebecker679 at gmail.com>
>   To: detomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>; 'San Diego Panteras'
>   <sdpanteras at googlegroups.com>
>   Sent: Sat, Dec 1, 2018 9:33 pm
>   Subject: [DeTomaso] The Water Restrictor Plate Below the Thermostat
>     See the link below and the description of 2 flavors of restrictor
>     plate.  My engine has the solid aluminum plate with the tiny hole.
>   But
>     I have always run the 351C unique thermostat.  My engine has always
>   run
>     a bit hot, usually over 200, even on the highway.  I noticed this
>     article says "This unit (restrictor plate with the tiny hole) must be
>     used in conjunction with a [1]standard thermostat , you cannot use
>   the
>     351C unique thermostat with this block off plate."
>     Does anyone know if this is true?  Could this be the reason my engine
>     runs hot?  Actually my engine currently doesn't run at all due to a
>     destroyed rod journal.  My engine is currently out and in pieces, so
>     I'm wondering if I should change to the original big-hole restrictor
>   or
>     keep the small-hole restrictor and switch to a non-351c standard
>     thermostat.
>     [2][1]https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/waterrestrictplate.html
>     thanks,
>     mike
>   References
>     1. [2]https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/thm170.html
>     2. [3]https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/waterrestrictplate.html
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> References
> 
>   1. https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/waterrestrictplate.html
>   2. https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/thm170.html
>   3. https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/waterrestrictplate.html
>   4. mailto:DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
>   5. http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
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