RE: GTV Thermostatic Actuators

["Brian Shorey" <bshorey@xxxxxxxxx>]

> As is common with SPICA equipped cars the thermo. on my 74 GTV has given
up
> the ghost and is not protruding. Does this cause the engine to
subsequently
> run rich? Mine appears to be doing so, puffing out a very small black
cloud
> upon gear changing and it is also going through a lot of gas. A common fix
> appears to be attacking the brass cylinder on the top end with a ball peen
> hammer to put some dents in it, thereby increasing the internal pressure.
Does
> this work and how is it best done?.

the protrusion is done at a certain temperature (70 deg (f) if i remember
correctly).  it used to be common practice to squeeze it in a vice until you
get the proper protrusion.  you could get away with this once or twice
before discarding the actuator.

nowadays, i'm told that the rebuilt actuators hold up very well over time.
now that they're harder to find (and getting scarcer), i don't think i'd
deform a good actuator.

if yours is not protruding at all then it may have lost all pressure, and
squeezing may not help anyhow.  the squeezing trick only worked if the
existing protrusion wasn't enough.

bs

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