Coolant???

[alexiskai]

Their instructions state, "it is generally better not to use antifreeze, it seems to foam easily and blow out of the radiator making a mess everywhere."

... I don't know what their problem was, but antifreeze certainly wasn't causing it. I'd ignore this particular gem.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

Their instructions state, "it is generally better not to use antifreeze, it seems to foam easily and blow out of the radiator making a mess everywhere."

... I don't know what their problem was, but antifreeze certainly wasn't causing it. I'd ignore this particular gem.

I saw that as well when I installed my VP thermostat housing. Couldn't understand just what that meant, as cars have been running antifreeze for years. So I use antifreeze and the 165 thermostat that VP supplied.

BTW, hats off to VP for excellent customer service. The VP operation is apparently a side to the company's main business, which seems to be heavy fabrication and machining in support of the many oil refineries in the communities surrounding Benicia, CA which is where they're located.

There is one guy (Casey) who "is" Vintage Precision, and he fabricates parts when he can get time on one or more of the machines. (I got the impression talking to him that his dad owns the parent company, and I think the person who answers the telephone is also part of the family). So he doesn't always have stock. I ordered my housing, and it came in, and only then did I realize that I should have also ordered the special $5 spacer they offer to stand off the sensor for my temperature gauge. No problem, a phone call, some mea culpas and I had it in two days, and no shipping charge for the separate mailing (they just popped it into an envelope and sent it out). A truly class act all the way around.

JayJay

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by JayJay

I saw that as well when I installed my VP thermostat housing. Couldn't understand just what that meant, as cars have been running antifreeze for years. So I use antifreeze and the 165 thermostat that VP supplied.

BTW, hats off to VP for excellent customer service. The VP operation is apparently a side to the company's main business, which seems to be heavy fabrication and machining in support of the many oil refineries in the communities surrounding Benicia, CA which is where they're located.

There is one guy (Casey) who "is" Vintage Precision, and he fabricates parts when he can get time on one or more of the machines. (I got the impression talking to him that his dad owns the parent company, and I think the person who answers the telephone is also part of the family). So he doesn't always have stock. I ordered my housing, and it came in, and only then did I realize that I should have also ordered the special $5 spacer they offer to stand off the sensor for my temperature gauge. No problem, a phone call, some mea culpas and I had it in two days, and no shipping charge for the separate mailing (they just popped it into an envelope and sent it out). A truly class act all the way around.

JayJay

I found that too but getting a spacer from VP was not possible, even if I knew they were available. At that time, USPS couldn't get a letter from the US to Australia (nor New Zealand, I think). I couldn't use the gauge I had already fitted in the car. I pondered making a spacer using a collection of fittings but the American threads (NPT) are not so easy to get here. I have since found a supplier but I have also now installed a digital gauge which looks terrible.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

I found that too but getting a spacer from VP was not possible, even if I knew they were available. At that time, USPS couldn't get a letter from the US to Australia (nor New Zealand, I think). I couldn't use the gauge I had already fitted in the car. I pondered making a spacer using a collection of fittings but the American threads (NPOT) are not so easy to get here. I have since found a supplier but I have also now installed a digital gauge which looks terrible.

The spacer is relatively straightforward - 1/2" NPT male to 1/2" NPT female - but it's not something you'd find in a hardware store simply because there is no application for it in conventional plumbing. Relatively easy to make if you have pipe thread taps and dies (and recognizing for our friends across both of the ponds that we here in America continue to go our own way with thread standards), but I don't happen to have a 1/2" pipe thread die (I do have a tap).

When I was talking to Casey at VP on the phone I suggested that he include the adapter in the standard thermostat housing package and just up the price by $5 if he had to. He said that wasn't the first time he had that suggestion would take it into consideration.

JayJay