Updated 3-4-11

    Ah, the mysteries...

While i'm certainly no engineer, I do have a unique background that gives me insight into this particular mystery. Take from it what you choose.

I have, since my early 20's (mid 50's as of this writing) either fixed coffee machines or worked on cars. Mostly coffee equipment but also on 115 Alfas, spica injected only, and mostly my own.

One of the stupid things I did to my first alfa was break the capillary for the thermostatic actuator. Actually I took off some of the mounting hardware as unneeded weight.  The capilary broke when I went to set the gap. It worked fine before I messed w/ it.

Damn thing squirted me right in the face and eye.

But the fluid was familiar to me, and I knew why all the bad thermostatic actuators ever tested, had no fluid in them.

It evaporates.

I recognized it because it's the same stuff used in coffee brewer thermostats. I've been told it's mineral spirits, it's certainly something like that, and not like anti-freeze or brake fluid.

There is no question about whether this was a rebuilt or tampered w/unit. New TA's were still available from the dealer. And I ordered one. Rebuilts were not available to my knowledge.

I can't comment on whether other fluids such as glycol have a similar coefficient of expansion, a factor which could well define how well a "rebuilt" functions.
 
I am curious about why there is such nonsence regarding this issue floating around. Is it because someone may well kill themselves soldering a tube full of mineral spirits?

Norm
 

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