~Zaitsev wrote:

.............
> I finally looked at the thermostatic actuator. It looks like its been
> disabled. The copper tubing is missing from the part that bolts onto
> the intake manifold to the FI pump.

"This" would indicate that your Spica is running in full_rich mode ,
all the time.
;_(

............
> I didn't look under the air filter at the FI pump to see if it had the
> 'dummy' actuator, tho.

???
Whutza "dummy" actuator ???

...........
> So, should I replace it?

Yes,
and sooner the better.


........
???
'Terminology' is always a problem ... ;_(

The thermo actuator sub_assembly should consist of 3 main pieces ...
beginning =at= the Spica pump ...
1. the 'aft'located , brass(?) cylindirical section, small copper tube
exiting
... "this", screwed to the Spica pump via a small, oval plate
2. the small dia copper(??) tube leading up to the "end" that is placed
into
... the engine coolant ... I forget "where" ...
3. the remote "end" of this sub_assembly , located in the engine block ,
.. I "think" using a simialar sized plate as #1 ...

...............
??replace?? it ...

With ?what? ... :-)

"New" probably not available ...
"Used" probably suffers also from 'internal_material' leakage

.........
Me??
I'd find some =stiff=, push_pull capable , motor cycle, sheathed cable ,
cobble/kludge up a =manual= 'choke' device .

The sub_assembly 'end' , that fits to the Spica pump ,
is about all you need to fab such a device ...

Carefully cut away the brass(??) cylindical , upper portion
=just= enuf ...
until you expose, & can 'see',
the internal 'section' of the steel(??) button
that exits from the bottom of the 'part' ...
I think I recall using a modler's razor saw ...
kept cutting 'back' in 1/16" slices ...
till I could
.. 'see' the end of the "button" , down in the "hole" ...
.. force the "button" out of the brass cylinder .

I opined that I wanted enuf of a 'hole' left =in= the brass cyl
to completely 'capture' (my soon_to_be) brazed butt_joint ...
wasnt too worried about capturing the "button" so it wouldnt
fall into the pump ... :-) ... my braze joint did 'that'.
I did want the 'joint' captured(enclosed) by the 'walls' of the hole.

With "button" out of the cylinder
sil_braze/solder the 1/8" dia +\- , cable onto the button 'head' ...
a good butt joint ... strong enuf to 'take' the push_pull stress.
You'll have to =really= clean the steel strands of the cable
to get 'it' to braze to the steel button ... probably use a good 'sb'
flux.

You 'want' the cable strands 'embedded' in the braze matrix,
=and= ,
the braze well bonded to the 1/8" inch dia button 'top' .
And 'strait' away, in linear fashion, please.

I think I must have wrapped the loose cable strands with a bit of wire,
to keep 'them' neatly/tightly bundled , while brazing.
Ground the 'wrap_wire' away 'later'.

Since the butt_joint was fully 'captured' in the remaining hole,
in the brass 'part',
I wasnt too worried about the 'butt joint ' getting sidewize stress ...
I 'did' have to grind the 'joint' to fit the 'hole' neatly ...

I hoped that the 1/8th inch diamenter butt_joint was strong enuf to
survive
a push/pull stress on "it" ...
Seems 'so' , I never had to re_do it . "In Use" for =many= years
thereafter.

This "button" is a moving 'part',
inside the lower, brass "cyl" , screwed to the Spica pump ,
.... a "piston" ??? , driven by the heat expanded 'internal_material' ...
???
which "button" bears upon a lever, internal to the Spica pump ...
'such' lever adjusting the F/A mix for changing engine temps ...

Added,
this button 'end' is also probably where the "internal_material(IM)"
leaks out ,
over time.

:-)
This 'IM' was most likely some sort of silicone fluid ...
I never looked into a 'replacement' material.
From 'calculations' I tried ,
using measurements of the 'chambers' at both ends of the sub_assembly ,
'silicone' fluid seemed a =likely= expansion/contraction fluid .
Dunno, really.

....................
Back on 'track' ...

Since a "button" push, upon the internal lever, equated to leaning out
the F/A mix ,
and a "pull" equated to a rich F/A mix ...
"this" would 'translate' directly/nicely to a cab_located "push/pull"
choke knob .

In a =PREVIOUS= post ,
I =ERRONEOUSLY= noted that the external "lever"
was for 'purpose' of reversing the choke 'push/pull' action ...
=bummer=, entirely =wrong=.
The external 'lever' was
for "purpose" of externally mounting a spring-return to "home"
for the cable , and the button.
My 'bad'.

Not being entirely sure about returning the pump internal lever to it's
"home"
position ... rich F/A mix,
I decided to add a spring_loaded, fulcrum_lever, =externally=,
atop my 'kludge'.

An 'ascii' drawing ...
two(2) potential 'return spring' locations , '1' & '2' ...
"0----x----o" being the external fulcrum_lever -


.. spring-1 cable
.. v v
.. | |
.. | |
.. o-----x----0 ... "x" being the fulcrum lever axle , about
which
.. | | both o's rotated
.. | |
.. spring-2 v
.. button
.. |
.. |
.. v
.. lever_end, inside the pump

I recall that I placed a spring-return at [spring-1] location above ,
not being quite sure that the Spica internal 'lever' would
be strong enuf to pull_return the cable to it's 'home' position ,
and
return the internal pump lever to it's internal,
downward_most,
'home' , cold_engine, rich F/A mix position.


The internal, Spica pump 'lever' is probably spring_loaded
to return the internal lever to "full_rich", 'home' position ... cant
recall.

You'll find "out" when you open up the 'pump' ... :-)

"It" stands to ?reason? the internal Spica pump "lever" =is= spring
loaded
to return "it" to 'full_rich" position ...
the contracting/hrinking 'fluid' should pull the "button" back up the
brass cyl,
the spring loaded, pump_internal lever, to "follow" this buttom movement
..

I do recall that my 1st external f_lever worked well,
never needed to fab a new 'lever' with differing moment arms ...
I think I must have measured the internal pump 'lever' movement
distance,
done the math/geometry ...
mounted my external spring-return in [spring-1] position
such that both cable, and "button",
were =COLD= positioned, in full_rich F/A mix 'position,
on a cold engine ...
fabbed my 1st 'lever' to "that" .

Phew!

I did my "work" with the pump on the 'bench' ...
had the engine crank, and cams , positioned for pump re_install ...
documented.

There ?may? have been mating 'postioning' marks on the Spica pump drive
....
cant recall ...
If NOT , I put `em there. :-) Documented too.

Hindsight suggests I could have 'done' the mod with the pump =on=
the engine ...

.....................
> Another question, now. And I appreciate your patience with me.
>
> When I change the oil, how many quarts/liters should I add. I suspect
> the oil dip stick is not the original. I've added what the book says
> (11.6 pints) but the dip stick still says its low.
>
> Thanks again.
>
> W Roberts
> San Antonio, TX

;_(
Catman mite have had the easy answer ...

Try a stiff wire to measure the max "depth" of the pan 'sump' ...
compare with "that" found on your dip_stick ...

Find the piston stroke in the 'RTFM' ...
half 'below', & half above, the crank shaft ctr ...
get out & get 'under' ...
estimate the lowest point in the crank stroke ... from ctr of the crank
pully,
allowing for estimated radius of crank rod journal counter_weight
'throw' ...
"see" if your max oil top_level is "just" below that ...

Else ... :-)
take the pan down ...
measure it.
Nah ... just kidding.

Ed