Ceearedeedriver wrote:
APC9199 wrote:
...I wanted to weld a few tabs around the OD of the unit and use 3 screws to hold it together, then just have an o-ring groove machined into the inside face so it seals when screwed together.
Sounds like you haven't taken one apart? There's already an O-ring in there to provide a watertight seal between the two halves. The crimp is just to mechanically secure the two halves together. There's not much clearance so you'd have to be careful with the size and location of the tabs.
Your minimalist idea is certainly viable if you can pick up the thermostat element but this is going to be tough to source and it's unlikely to be cheap, available off the shelf in one-off quantities, or available in a selection of opening temperatures.
If you simply want to duplicate the OE thermostat look, feel and functionality why not just buy an OE thermostat?
If you wish to DIY and make use of the facilities you have available there are a couple of perfectly good DIY options available that a number of us are using. Kap above and Sarge
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=84571 I've had Sarge's mod running in mine since May. It's real easy to do,
I have reviewed as much information on the available options as I could find. I understand that Kap's mod is the most viable option for people who can't/won't pay for the HDS-001 and people who refuse to pay the price for a sub-standard OEM unit. I was simply researching other options. It sounds like there is not a source for individual thermostats which I am not surprised to find out. Someone with an interest un hundreds or maybe thousands of them could probably get an ear at Behr (or other) to listen to them, but surely none of us will.
I HAVE taken one apart and I do know that there is an o-ring groove inside it already. My issue is that grinding it apart and potentially welding a ring around that rim is going to damage/eliminate the groove. If I attempt to continue with my own design, I'll have to re-machine it into the housing after welding.
So, another question for people who have played with these more...what is the failure mode for for the insert itself? Do the springs fatigue and become weak? Is there something else I'm not seeing? I'm dumb AND stubborn enough to entertain the idea of making the insert itself repairable instead of replaceable, with a replacement spring or otherwise if possible. It appears the rivet in the end of the insert could be drilled out to get the springs off and possibly re-tapped to accept a screw.
Again, this is all just exploration for me. I might end up doing the tried-and-true modification and be done with it. haha!
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