Howdy Gentlemen,

Below's a sketch of the cooling system on my HAMBster, presently with no 'stat (I currently switch the fan on & off by toggle, as needed). I intend to add a 'stat to the system this year, and have three options (listed a, b, & c). I'm courting opinions as to which position might be best, .... and your reasonings as well, of course.

Yes, the head to block water passages are all sealed, thus the reason for seperating'em in the sketch.



Also, as the only by-pass I'll have in the 'statted system will be a bleed hole in the 'stat rim, what concerns about hydraulic stall at the water pump?

_________________
Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link

The top tank would be a good place. Hottest point, and many have bungs already installed in these locations.

CJ

_________________
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Sorry, I clarified the sketch. The radiator lies horizontally, with the fittings both sides off the bottom of the seperated bottom tank. I have no option to mount the 'stat there.

_________________
Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link

So, there's no way that you can use the engine's original t-stat location, or is "A" supposed to represent that?

You're going to have to have it in very close proximity to the hottest coolant in the engine, or it's never going to open at the desired water temp.

Interesting radiator mod, by the way. Looks like you're using a downflow core and isolating the two sides of the bottom tank from each other, with inlet/outlets soldered into each half. Thus making it a two-pass radiator.

I trust you can mount it something a bit off horizontal, so as to help air bleed out of the radiator. This also means you're going to half to develop a fill point somewhere near the engine's coolant hose attachment points in order to fill and bleed the system.

Roger

Yep, A is the original spot, I could put'er there, and that'd respond to the head temp changes. It is, however, a few inches away from the combustion chamber, and wouldn't be responding to any of the block temp.

I could mount it at C, where it'd respond to the #6 cylinder wall changes. That fitting's on the back wall of the block, within an inch of the cyl wall.

I also have B available, where it'd respond to the radiator changes.

Given the slow bleed-through of my limited by-pass, I think B's out of the question, I'd like it to respond as quickly as it might.

What I don't know is whether the head (sort of by #1) or the block (by #6) heats up the quickest. At the moment I'm leaning toward the block. I think that'd also help in keeping it cycled open longer, as once open it'd be registering the combined heat of both.

_________________
Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link

Exactly. The fun bit was the fittings on the back of the head & block. Without a way to mill'em I was left with hand grinder & flat file jobs.

Yeah, it's a bit off horizontal. I've added an air bleed at the high point (I do have a small air bleed in the forward head/block interface, so the stock head fill works for the engine), and drains at the low points. With the engine canted up, as well as the radiator, and the air bleeds, the stock filler neck works out well.

ps, Gentlemen, the system's in and running as of this year, and working nicely. I just want to add the 'stat, to get'er up to temp quicker in the lanes. Running'er too cold's costing me about half a second, and messing up my dial-ins when I'm at bracket meets.

_________________
Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link

Chev LT1 inline thermostat at "C" would be my choice.

The LT! is reverse cooling...the thermostat is located in the lower rad hose .

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....