Radiator pipes/hoses

[vping]

This is a TD question. My TD did not have a thermostat and there was an valve that was inline that is not supposed to be there. If you are unfamiliar with a TD here goes.

There is a large cast elbow coming off the block and then another housing bolted to it. This housing is for the thermostat and connects to the top of the radiator. Out of the side of this housing is an opening for a much smaller cast elbow. This elbow connects to a "Y". This "Y" connects the water pump & the lower radiator hose.

The PO brazed an angle valve into the small elbow to somehow restrict flow. Why?
Particulars:
Car was from Socal
No thermostat.
Added a flow valve
Radiator cap was a flip type & not the std. screw down Octogon.

This pic is of the small cast elbow on top of the "Y". There is also a fiting brazed into the "Y which needs to come out.

I need to figure out which thermostat to buy & why he might have had a setup like this.

 

[Rob_P]

My guess was on the occasional cold evening/morning, the PO would act as his own thermostat by restricting the water flow. Once nice and warm, open it back up. or since it restricts and doesn't block, maybe for the winter months he would turn it down a notch or 2 to let it get a little warmer.

The only thing that makes any sense to me.

 

[Steve_S]

I'd return it to stock. No reason to restrict flow in So Cal!

 

[vping]

My thoughts exactly. The problem is I am not sure how to get back to stock. I am not sure if you can get the original thermostat and I just learned that I may have to have it machined to fit a modern thermostat.

Hmmmm.