I know its been covered loads but have no thermostat just discovered, is it a good or bad idea to hold flaps open or closed over the next few months use. Is there an easy way as have no link from rear of fan housing to original stat position was planning on using cable gripple wire.
when the thermostat fails, the flaps are open....it just means that it'll take a while longer for the engine to warm up
Nor me and for that reason I decided at the last minute not to fit them at all. What do they do? They stop air getting to the heads and barrels so presumably more goes throgh the heat exchangers to demist the windscreen. I wonder how long it typically takes for the thermostat to open?
If you're happy they'll stay open, open is what youwant (in answer to your original question). Closed is bad.
On my last "check" of the pancake we run in our '73, I was pinned the flaps half open and thus half closed and run without a thrermostat. Working great after two years of summer time running.
The flaps are meant to act as guide vanes when they are open. Like the set further inside the fan housing making the air curve round nicely then blast down on the cylinders and cylinder heads....Allegedly. If you always drive your bus at under 55mph because your steering box is loose and the suspension donuts are gone at the back so it drifts around in the afternoon breeze.. . it probably does not matter a bit ..but if you live on the edge the extra cooling will help if you have flaps jammed open.
I've never known any different. My campers engine has no thermostat or flaps. It's been like that for 30000miles. I've often wondered how quickly the thermostat would open? Or if it only partially opens if it's colder weather? Seeing as my van is mainly used in the summer I've never worried to much!
I suspect that the flaps begin to open in 3 to 5 miles or about 10 minutes, as the air coming out of the engine warms up. Oil temperature rise takes longer. More like 15 to 20 miles.
