Are gauges a good idea or will I just panic more?

As said above, I don't have flaps or a thermostat. The aftermarket fan housing I have doesn't accept them.
Laurie said my feet will take longer to warm up.
I'd rather have them TBH but the sort of engine I have is likely to be in pieces and back together more often than a standard one anyway, it's just the nature of it. Anything worn will get replaced as and when.

I'm going to build a cable operated flap on my remote cooler attached to a redundant heater control on the dash so I can run it a bit hotter until I get up to speed.

 

^^^ I've got one flap and nothing else cooler side on a type 4, I've was always been under the impression that the flaps aid warming up quicker so I haven't bothered to install all the missing parts yet. That's why a lot of imports from California don't have them as their winters are like 20deg c so taking them out doesn't really make too much difference for them. still don't understand why you would thou..

 

T1 and T4 very different in the flap department. I wouldn't want a T4 without the flaps as a minimum.

 

Back to guages - I'd go for oil pressure if just one guage. Pressure will sit in one place until it gets too hot, then the pressure will drop. I have temp and pressure but they move together so just one would do the trick. As oil pressure will also show lack of oil before it gets critical I'd go for that.
I mounted mine under the dash in a place obscured by the steering wheel arm so I have to make an effort to see it. I only look when I know I'm being naughty, but can see enough of it to spot sudden movement like when my undersize filter blew it's seal and the pressure plummeted.

 

I think gauges will give me a little piece of mind even if I do end up obsessing over them

As for the flaps, our engine is a t1 but I still think I'll get them reinstalled. My theory is that with an oil temp sensor I assume the oil temp would go up if the flaps got stuck in the closed position - would that be right? Plus the engine will hopefully last longer and be a little bit more petrol efficient (is that possible in a bay lol)

 

I assumed a cold engine would use a bit more juice until it was warm, I know we're probably talking teaspoons but in the words of Tesco every little helps

 

Oh see that now makes we think I may as well not put the flaps back on

 

I suppose that brings me back to the fail safe position of fitting some gauges to make sure the flaps/thermostat work as they should

 

True but VW original thermostat was designed that should it fail the flaps will stay in the open position, whereas modern ones don't necessarily do this - a major design fault IMO.

 

Type 1 engine flaps are designed to fail in the open posistion when running the original type bellows thermostat
The problem of failing in the closed posistion is with the new style mexican thermostat
Id keep your flaps fitted and run an original style bellows thermostat

Quicker warm up and less engine wear as well as getting heat in the cab a lot quicker

 

I have a lovely set of Original Smiths guages and a Smith Rev counter in my van.They arnt wired up,but they look good.

 

I would fit a bellows one if I could source one!

 

Have the flaps fitted with no thermostat that way they will be in the open posistion
Then phone round the vw breakers and search the forums for a good second hand bellows thermostat
You then can fit this later and have it working as vw intended

I would never run with the mexican style thermostat as its a siezed engine waiting to happen
I dont know what vw were thinking when they released that new style thermostat

 

I have a temp and pressure gauge
I have just fitted a new engine and changed to a dipstick sender and find it very useful
When driving it told me the temp was getting high and if I slowed by 10 mph it came back down and stayed there

I had a sump sender before and it did very little but the dipstick is spot on

As for flaps I fitted them to mine as it aids to warm up times but make sure they are working right and with the correct bellows