Re: sylphon bellows and heat gauge repairs

Posted by DavidM On 2010/10/20 22:27:38

The thermostat for the radiator shutters can be easily repaired if the bellows are still intact. I repaired the bellows on my 1929 633 about 8 years ago and it is still working. There is a small hole that has been soft soldered closed, which if my memory serves me correctly, is on the hexagonal nut. I simply drilled a 1/16" dia hole through this and injected about one teaspoon full of ether into the bellows then soldered the hole closed. However it is only a matter of time before the old bellows suffer fatigue cracks and then it will be beyond repair unless suitable replacement bellows can be found. So, if the above repair includes new bellows then that is the way to go, otherwise it is a temporary fix
I have since made a new shutter thermostat using a modern wax filled thermostat from a large industrial diesel engine for another 1929, this works better than the repaired one which opens prematurely probably due to my having put too much ether in it.