730 gas thermostat final chapter

[fixerupper]

The latest thermostat I ordered came in the mail today. I guess it will have to work. The tractor needs a 2 7/8" outside diameter 260 degree thermostat that seems to be made out of unobtanium. This thermostat that came today is the 2.49" diameter thermostat NAPA crosses to but a 2 7/8" OD fender washer has been pop riveted to the thermostat to make the working OD factory size. This one is 180 degree. That is OK but I still wonder if this thermostat will flow enough. The only way to find out is load it down on a hot day. That might not ever happen though. I hate to see a tractor with a brand new radiator heat up because the coolant flow has been throttled by an undersized thermostat. You can read my first post to find out what happened with the first two thermostats I tried out.

 

[wore out]

(quoted from post at 18:48:45 12/27/21) The latest thermostat I ordered came in the mail today. I guess it will have to work. The tractor needs a 2 7/8" outside diameter 260 degree thermostat that seems to be made out of unobtanium. This thermostat that came today is the 2.49" diameter thermostat NAPA crosses to but a 2 7/8" OD fender washer has been pop riveted to the thermostat to make the working OD factory size. This one is 180 degree. That is OK but I still wonder if this thermostat will flow enough. The only way to find out is load it down on a hot day. That might not ever happen though. I hate to see a tractor with a brand new radiator heat up because the coolant flow has been throttled by an undersized thermostat. You can read my first post to find out what happened with the first two thermostats I tried out.

WOW, that's a disgusting CRUDE "hack job" for something you ordered/bought! You could have done that yourself for what, $15 or $20?

On the other hand, IMHO, your fear of it not flowing enough coolant is unfounded, it will be FINE!



This post was edited by wore out on 12/27/2021 at 08:57 pm.

 

[fixerupper]

I plunked this thermostat down in the hole and this is what I ended up with. It does not settle down in there. Not acceptable! The thermostat itself is a few thousands too big to go down into the hole so the fender washer will sit down in the recess. I thought about removing the pop rivets and grinding down the diameter of the thermostat down a bit smaller and pop riveting it back together but the hole in the casting is not centered. I don't feel I have to go through custom fitting it. When I get the time I will be headed back up to Arnold Motors in Spencer to pick one out of their thick thermostat catalog.

 

[buickanddeere]

160F is too cold .
Sat should be 195F

 

[fixerupper]

195 is OK for our crappy gasoline but for our Iowa summer temps 195 is starting it out fairly hot before the tractor leans into the harness pulling a plow. Maybe it would work out OK, I have never tried a 195 in an old tractor.