Why the double bend?

[David Jones]

On the pushrod link from the thermostat bellows there is a double bend in the rod. I presume it was there to clear the carb linkage on the single throat carbs with the horizontal operating bar, but that was a relatively short lived set up so perhaps there was a better/another reason.
Just asking out of curiosity because as I was assembling an engine this week I had one of those "what for" moments.
By the way the rod is shown in the correct orientation with the top of the bend up as shown in the factory manual for those authenticity nuts with OCD.

[C J Murray]

That clears the single barrel Solex throttle linkage.

[Chuck Allard]

Makes it easier to unwind from the bellows

[David Jones]

When did the thermostat come in? It was not on the pre "A" initially. When did Porsche decide that carb heating was necessary for cold start fast warm up?

[C J Murray]

1957 had it

[C J Murray]

[David Jones]

That was what I thought but why keep it after the dual single carb linkage was dropped?

[Dick Weiss]

Yeah, It does seem strange that it didn't need the double bend for the dual throat carb setup. W/all (or some) of certain updated parts
having the same #, why this one didn't get a straight rod replacement; Of course, a 1/8" rod could be made easily w/metric threads on 1-end.

[Ron LaDow]

That was what I thought but why keep it after the dual single carb linkage was dropped?

Any change in a part spec means changes in inventory tracking, part number changes (in the parts manuals), drafting time, co-ordination with the supplier (who may have already given an great price on thousands of the things). And someone to stand up in the engineering meeting and say 'We should revise this part' and defend that claim on business reasons.
So there are many admin and business reasons *not* to change it, and for such an inconsequential part, I can't see anyone bothering to suggest it. As Chuck mentions, it has the quality of making rotation easy.

[Vic Skirmants]

That was what I thought but why keep it after the dual single carb linkage was dropped?

Any change in a part spec means changes in inventory tracking, part number changes (in the parts manuals), drafting time, co-ordination with the supplier (who may have already given an great price on thousands of the things). And someone to stand up in the engineering meeting and say 'We should revise this part' and defend that claim on business reasons.
So there are many admin and business reasons *not* to change it, and for such an inconsequential part, I can't see anyone bothering to suggest it. As Chuck mentions, it has the quality of making rotation easy.

Couldn't have said it any better. Also the reason for the dipstick holding loop on the oil filter bracket.

[Dick Weiss]

I'll settle on both anyway; There's been occasions when removing "stuck" Thermo rods & easier to loosen it w/o using a vise-grip!
I never use the so-called dipstick "receptacle".

[James Davies]

When did the thermostat come in? It was not on the pre "A" initially. When did Porsche decide that carb heating was necessary for cold start fast warm up?

It started with the 1600 engines at the end of 1955.

[C J Murray]

Porsche realized that the amount of flex allowed by the two bends was crucial to the correct operation of the thermostat even after the throttle linkage was changed. Just kidding! They must have had a zillion made already and just left them that way.