The two thermo switches I got from the wrecker were rendered useless: I heated one of them with a blow torch (then discovering they're very sensitive) and dropped the other on the concrete floor, breaking it instantly.
So, what to do when the world seems to be letting you know it doesn't want you to is to stop trying to do it. I fitted a nicer switch on the inside of the car and made it slightly more secure (but still hanging down from the dash). Since it's Winter now, I rarely have to even switch it on, provided I avoid heavy traffic (*very* difficult in Melbourne these days).
Found out the following about how it heats up:
1. Putting the car into neutral when coasting downwards (don't speed, though) is great for reducing the coolant temperature.
2. Putting the car into neutral at red lights no longer has any cooling effect, since the fan is now gone, so doing it is now a no-no.
3. Provided I never forget to look at the gauge every minute or so, the car will always operate at the right temperature.
4. Rain doesn't necessarily cool it better.
5. Cold air does. Driving through the mountains saw the temperature gauge drop quite a bit.
6. Travelling at 60-70KM/H is good for cooling, 80 is OK, but 100 will heat the coolant. The engine has to work proportionally harder at 100 to overcome the additional air resistance and produces much more heat, whereas at lower speeds the wind blowing through the radiator is more cooling than what the engine produces.
The car seems to use less fuel, and (this could be imagination, but) it also seems more responsive.
Thanks for reading.
