Enjoy....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFrcKSB-oUM

Now that I've installed an Awsome Powdercoat bellows, mine works like that, too! It had been years since I had a properly working t-stat, probably shortened the life of my engine a bit by running a faulty cooling system as engines do not like to be cold.

I had one of the Awesome Powdercoat bellows on my 73. Great that someone's making them. The one here on my 74 is original. Found it on evilbay. When I saw the dents and flat spots I doubted it worked...

isn't there an alternative replacement part, used on later VW engines? seems to me i saw Edd China replace the bellows with some newer version on the Wheeler Dealers 914 episode?

Knowing Edd, he probably hand-carved a mold and smelted the metal for one

I got mine from the Awesome Powder coat guy years ago works great. Found them listed on The Samba site. Lots of bus guys need these too.

Just rewatched the wheeler Dealer episode with the 914.
Ed replaced the bellows with a standard VW part that does the same thing, but more of a thermostat style, with it being wrapped in an external spring, no bellows.
bolt in replacement.

IIRC, the external-spring type opens at a different temperature than ours does.

--DD

TheWD episode was on last night, he made that 914 look very nice.

Intense!!!

Interesting,I really thought the damage would have stopped it working....and away it went,what really stops them working ?..I'am guessing the brass getting metal fatigue or "work hardening" stops them expanding eh.
Read about the wax cartridge ones for sale on the samba.com not good news as they stay closed when they fail, anyone tried one appears they don't last long ???.
Perhaps people more clever than me could design a modern solution.

How about a manual set up like an old fashioned manual choke? You pull the flapper shut when the engine is cold and open it when it is warm and if you forget, you cook the engine.

Nice vid Ian, and yeah, the Awesome Powdercoat units are just that. Have had mine on the car for over 3 years, works great. IIRC, the VW units fail closed, while the bellows type fails open.

Here is a video I did last year from another angle - shows the flaps in action.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpTWUNm1Qn8

Thank you for those videos, especially the last one.