How long to heat up?

Just how long does it take to warm up a VW engine? I rode around to block a few times today and it never showed any increase in temp. I do have the exta oil sump and a larg oil coller but the lines fill warm enought to read on the gauge.

Mike

It depends on whether or not your engine has the thermostat and cooling flaps - and if they work. My 2,110 (with thermostat and flaps that work) usually doesn't reach full operating temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the ambient temp and driving speed. If your engine does not have the thermostat and flaps it may never reach full operating temp in cooler weather (a bad thing).

MY car is similar equipped and takes a long time to warm up too. I took George's advice and picked up a Mocal thermostat from A.C.E. Ent. Havent hooked it up yet, but will keep you posted.

What does the thermostat do? It must restrict the oil flow untill it heats up?

Mike

Mike, a stock type 1 engine has flaps up inside the shroud (one on each side) that are controlled by the thermostat. In cold weather the flaps are closed (thermostat is compressed) so that most air from the cooling fan doesn't go over the heads and cylinders. As the engine heats up, the thermostat opens (bellows expand) and pulls down on a rod that opens the flaps to allow air to flow over heads and cylinders.

During warm weather operation the flaps are fully open and do not impede cooling; in colder weather the flaps stay partially closed so that the engine maintains an operating temperature within the designed range.

Many performance engine builders remove the thermostat and flaps from engines that are not used in street cars; removing them on street cars is probably a mistake according to most VW engine publications I've read.

Well, i had the wrong idea on what the thermostat did. I can tell you i dont have any of that in my cooling fan. What should i do, I live in south GA so its not cold here much?

Mike

Depends on how long you're gonna keep the car, how you drive it, and if you drive it in cool/cold weather. A lot of guys in southern California build performance engines without flaps and thermostat.

If you keep the car and somewhere down the road the engine has to come out, buy the pieces (used but functional is fine) and have them installed - flaps and shaft, springs (flaps have light spring loading to close), thermostat, thermostat bracket, and operating rod from thermostat to flaps. There should be a stud (or threaded hole) on the right side of the engine case for mounting the thermostat bracket; if not you'll have to drill/tap, etc.

Mike, the mocal thermostst is installed between the remote oil filter and the oil cooler. It restricts oil flow to the oil cooler until it reaches proper running temp, at which time it opens slowly allowing oil to the cooler. This is totally different than the thermostat that George is refering to.

Any of you would know how to set up the stud just right in a block that doesn't have one?

I didn't read the dates and got freaked out, George was back posting again from the grave. All those who have said things about him after his death are in trouble..........

Pat

Noticed that about George, who knew that you got to keep your SMILE FACE in heaven . . .

Not only that, this goes to show that his advice is as valuable now as it was before.

Amen.