Cardboard thermostat

[Rob S.]

Feeling a little frisky - thinking of trying the old "cardboard thermostat" trick today.

I'm figuring the only downside will be some whistling or other change in the sound I hear. It won't be pretty (cardboard and twist-ties).

If anyone's gone that route (it'll be temporary) and has any advice/stories...

Thanks. :xsmilie_mrgreen:

 

[Rob S.]

Told you it wouldn't be pretty! :xsmilie_mrgreen:



Hey - I can tuck a corner in behind the horn. Wish I hadn't gotten grease on my clean cardboard. :grumpy:

 

[Brendan W]

Bit of cooking foil would give it a more 'professional' look

 

[storm 64]

Nice "West Virginia Thermostat" Not sure why you would want to do that though? Is it that cold in New York?

 

[Rob S.]

Nice "West Virginia Thermostat" Not sure why you would want to do that though? Is it that cold in New York?

I rarely get to ride more than 15 miles. It ran too hot before the cooler, and, as soon as summer was over, it ran too cold on these short rides with the cooler.

Cooler stays. It's the "Jackie Gleason" syndrome - he kept a suitcase with clothes and cash in a bus station locker till the end of his life. "One day they'll find out I'm a phony, and I'll have to leave town."

I'm not one of those "sky is falling" types (the site's already got a major one). More of "Then Came Bronson". My bike is always gassed up and ready to go. One day I'll ride off, and I won't return...

 

[Rob S.]

Bit of cooking foil would give it a more 'professional' look

Certainly help to waterproof the cardboard, I mean the thermostat. The corrugated thermostat, we'll call it. :xsmilie_mrgreen:

 

[Brendan W]

Certainly help to waterproof the cardboard, I mean the thermostat. The corrugated thermostat, we'll call it. :xsmilie_mrgreen:

Hey we can do better than that.

How about - Ventilated double skin thermostat with Eco reinforced core and radiation shielding.

 

[Rob S.]

Sounds like something that could be sold on E-Bay for $100.

 

[Brendan W]

I drove a Volvo 444 that had a galvansed plate in front of the radiator. The height was controlled by a chain running on pulleys over the top of the block through a hole in the centre of the dash and through a vee notch beside the temperature gauge.

If you want to sell these things I suggest making them in inch size only to cut down on tooling. I'll source some metric twist tie adaptors for the European market

 

[chuck hahn]

I am at a loss for even having an oil cooler in NY state to begin with. Few days that it does hit 95 still isnt hot enough to warrant one in my book. I take that off anything I get and trash them and Its regulaalrly well over 95 for extended periods down here. Even on a 100 degree day I havent seen the temp on the Cooley over 250..if that.

Now if I was in the Nevada dessert or something to that degree I might give one some consideration. these engines arent that fragile!!!

 

[Scout]

I rarely get to ride more than 15 miles. It ran too hot before the cooler, and, as soon as summer was over, it ran too cold on these short rides with the cooler.

Cooler stays. It's the "Jackie Gleason" syndrome - he kept a suitcase with clothes and cash in a bus station locker till the end of his life. "One day they'll find out I'm a phony, and I'll have to leave town."

I'm not one of those "sky is falling" types (the site's already got a major one). More of "Then Came Bronson". My bike is always gassed up and ready to go. One day I'll ride off, and I won't return...

My friend we must sit down for a beer sometime! I surmise your the nervous, anxious type maybe worrisome is a better term. Like I said in a previous oil cooler related thread you really don't need one anyway. Like Chuck Hahn just said, NY does not justify it. Now lets quit worrying about the 1100 and start focusing on fixing the Jets & Giants

 

[chuck hahn]

Fix the Giants and Jets, Scout??? Bet you have see Bigfoot in person too...LOL

 

[Guest]

....If you want to sell these things I suggest making them in inch size only to cut down on tooling. I'll source some metric twist tie adaptors for the European market

Metric twist ties looks exactly the same for the untrained eye.

But they are actually are a little shorter.

 

[Rob S.]

My friend we must sit down for a beer sometime! I surmise your the nervous, anxious type maybe worrisome is a better term. Like I said in a previous oil cooler related thread you really don't need one anyway. Like Chuck Hahn just said, NY does not justify it. Now lets quit worrying about the 1100 and start focusing on fixing the Jets & Giants

Would temps approaching 300 worry you? I use dino oil (change every 2000 mile).

Now, about football: may we see some of your pics of Bigfoot? :xsmilie_mrgreen:

 

[chuck hahn]

Nope..I ran up I35 north out of Austin Texas on the Cooley on a 110 degree day. Temp, gauge hit just a little over the 250 range and in a few instances went a tad higher. I was running 80 MPH and using Rotella T 10/40 oil. Never a hickup or worry about if it was too hot for the engine to handle. The only thing I was worried about that day was ME!! Getting over heated and not drinking water is a killer for a man. I stopped and got myself a cold water about half way home that day!!

Up in NY i wouldnt worry about anything as long as I kept the oil changed regularly and changed filters as needed. That engine isnt gonna fail you.

EDIT..and its 75 miles from Austin to Temple TX just so you got the idea as to why I am not worried.

 

[Rob S.]

Here's a photo of my oil temp gauge. Before the cooler was installed (back when I could take 50-mile or longer rides), the temp needle would sometimes touch the bottom of the "3". And this was in spring.

I would sometimes pull in the clutch and coast down long hills on the Pallisades Parkway to cool her down a few degrees.

Now, I don't know how accurate the gauge is, but are you telling me you wouldn't be concerned as the needle approached 320? Even if your running synthetic oil (which I am not).

 

[chuck hahn]

Well at 110 outside and running 80 i never got to 300 on the Cooley so . me personally, would be suspect of the sending units accuracy at a minimum..especially in a climate that isnt customarily above 95 or so on a hot season. I wouldnt worry about it at all..whats another 30 degrees or so above the 260ish I have seen on my temp gauge in the greater scheme of things. I just think you are way too over worrying the situation.

Well we know water boils at 212 and has a variance of a few degrees above that but it doesnt rise much above 212. Boil water and set the sending unit in it and see what the gauge reads to get some sort of idea of its accuracy.

 

[chuck hahn]

What would concern me if reaching 320 would be running too lean and burning a piston or valve. Running real lean increases engine temps tremendously where usually they would run way cooler.

 

[Scout]

Would temps approaching 300 worry you? I use dino oil (change every 2000 mile).

Now, about football: may we see some of your pics of Bigfoot? :xsmilie_mrgreen:

Chuck is right on. Your gauge is most likely wrong to start with and even at that have you ever had engine troubles you could correlate to the high temps your seeing? Your motor can handle the heat but double check your not running lean. You should be using cheap diesel oil by now as that's what these old bikes like. If your that worried about the temps you could use synthetic but I don't see the point, plus it is more expensive. You need a motorcycle therapist to alleviate your anxieties brother. Bring your bike south and get some riding in!

 

[Crankthat]

Worth it to check how it is running, I would.

My experience with the city stop and go traffic in NY, things tend to heat up.
Just saying...