Lancia Gamma with Volvo thermostat.

As you all now is the original thermostat of the Gamma not reliable and the cost of a new genuine one is high. So we searched an alternative. It was our intention to build one in the original housing with little or one-time modifications. So we had to look after a thermostat that fitted in the housing. Our daily drive is a Volvo (would like a Gamma) and so the most logic was to look if one of these would fit. And so it did. The outer diameter off the thermostat is 54 mm.

We needed an old original thermostat because off the water pipe connection. We didn’t need the rest so we sawed it off at the line A-A on the figure. Now we have the connection. The inside of the hose connection should be cleaned out.

                                                                       Then we had only one problem: to hold the Volvo thermostat in place. We chose here a simple solution; we bought a pipe of diameter 54 mm, 1.5 mm thick, 15 mm wide and sawed it open. So we had a kind off a spring ring. Now we fitted the ring into the house, pushed it a bit in, and now the thermostat on that. Don’t push the thermostat too deep in the house because the ring is almost immovable. The ring should be pushed the last millimeters with the hose connection. Off course you shouldn’t forget a gasket which we made ourselves.

The thermostat we used opens at 87°C and is fully open at 97°C. There is another type available and this one opens at 92°C and is fully open at 102°C.

They are readily available at Volvo and auto-shops and should not cost over 15£.

The data you should need is; Volvo 240 series; with a 2100cc or 2300cc petrol engine; made between 1975 and 1982.

 This is the way it looks with our Volvo conversion.