Thermostat missing - thermostat installed - heater works

Doug

Doug

Member
Hi all

This is our first winter with Roland the commer, having bought him in October.

I thought the heater was a bit crap but concluded it's a 70's van, they hadn't really got it all sorted by then and it's a large cabin to heat.

Then I noticed the water rushing past the radiator filler hole, even when engine is cold.

Last night I replaced the thermostat - or rather: put one in. There wasn't one. Heater works very nicely now !!

So.. previous owner or someone has removed the thermostat.
Why would anyone do this ? Does the 1725cc engine run a bit hot when the weather is warmer ?
The temperature gauge doesn't work so I bought a laser pointy thermostat and checked the thermostat area - it sits at 82 deg which according to the excellent Panky is just right.

It occurs to me that when summer does arrive, we'll have no way of turning the heater off. should there be a tap or something to isolate the heater unit from hot water ?

thanks

Doug, Mel and Roland
 
Hi there - toastie...
People generally remove them when they overheat as you'll know. The blocks can be known to silt up heavily certainly if good antifreeze isn't used, you'll only notice in Summer under load though (like up a hill). Don't panic though and hopefully it had a faulty thermos causing over heating so someone just took it out, also common. I'd recommend fixing the temp gauge - will be a dodgy sender or the wire to it (the sender and wire sit at the front of head\water pump) pocking straight up or it does on my alloy head engine.

Regarding turning the heater off - on older vans there's a tap drilled into the head meaning you have to lift the engine lid to turn it off and on! the newer Spacevans had heater controls. You could retro fit one easily - an FX taxi or mini valve works a treat (available on Ebay) fit into the pipe work running up to the heater - the hardest bit is fitting a control mechanism to turn it up or down - tbh I just reach under the dash and flick it on or off directly on the valve.
 
There's usually a brass tap screwed into the head with the heater pipe attached to it, if there isn't one you can always fit a gate valve from a plumbers merchant.
 
Ta Jimberlake. I ordered a temp sender as ours just has a blanking plug.

The Temp gauge reads wildly (right off the scale even when engine isn't running yet, or in the middle somewhere , or .. etc)
I don't know what it's connected to yet - haven't traced the wires. . maybe some other sender somewhere ? Don't know whether they moved them on some vans, or perhaps some aftermarket lash-up.

The water seems to be quite a rotten colour, like cappuccino, so it needs a flushing through.
 
Panky.. ok thanks. looks like someone's taken it out, so will do as you suggest- thanks.

While I'm here : There's a lever connected to the heater which pulls in/out from around the middle of the dashboard. It seems to do 'something'.. is that some kind of air intake setting, from recycling to fresh air or something ?

sorry for probably daft newbie questions, and thanks for all your help
 
The lever is connected to a flap behind the small grille on the front of the van to let fresh air into the heater, I'd be amazed if it's still in one piece;)
 
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