Otter Switch Operation - XK150 versus XKE

The Otter Switch is the thermostatic switch that controls the starting carburetor and turns it off when the engine gets hot enough. It was made by Otter Controls in Buxton, UK., hence the name.

Thanks for your response. Yes, I am one of those darned electrical engineers by education. So that's the first thing I did. The contacts were so badly corroded, and someone before me had bent them to the point that they were not salvageable. My next step was that I was given a later version that had what looked like to be a little pill box instead of the bi-metallic switch, but that one was inoperable when I installed it in the original housing. My goal is to use the correct external housing with a replacement internal switch.

Thanks for your response. Yes, I am one of those darned electrical engineers by education. So that's the first thing I did. The contacts were so badly corroded, and someone before me had bent them to the point that they were not salvageable. My next step was that I was given a later version that had what looked like to be a little pill box instead of the bi-metallic switch, but that one was inoperable when I installed it in the original housing. My goal is to use the correct external housing with a replacement internal switch.

Ah, thank you. That's one of the things I'm hoping to reinstate (was by-passed with a manual switch for more driver control). Not super high on the list, though....

Thanks again!

The Otter Switch is the thermostatic switch that controls the starting carburetor and turns it off when the engine gets hot enough. It was made by Otter Controls in Buxton, UK., hence the name.

Apologies for not adding any value here, but can someone tell me what an "otter switch" is and what it does?

Thanks.

Warning, the tabs that hold it together were only meant to be bent once, and they were bent once when it was first assembled. Be very careful if you decide to disassemble it yourself.
If it can't be repaired then I can install an upgraded thermostatic switch within the original housing. Contact me off-list for more information.

Have you tried to repair it? If it is just a matter of it not functioning, it can be disassembled. Once removed, pry off the metal bulb to expose the bimetallic elements. Clean the contacts and put them into hot water on the stove. All I did with mine was burnish the contacts and slightly bend the metal reeds until they broke contact at the specified temperature. That was 10 years ago and its still working.