I order the thermostat from FCPGroton. I finally managed to pull out the termostat. However the new one wouldn't go in, even leaving it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Anyways it got dark and I got desparate. My thumbs were a mess playing with the Air Box Spring.

So I closed the Heated Air duct. I got Stucco Paper wire and made it into a perfect ball big enough to keep the heated air duct valve permentantly closed. So now I only get fresh air (I live in So Cal anyways). I then went a step further and pull the broken aluminium duct from the manifold and used aluminum foil to block it to the airbox (did want things getting trapped in there. I then placed part of the aluminum hosing on the exhaust manifold pipe but facing downward- so if any hot air blows it'll blow into the ground not the tranny cooler lines or the alternator. My question, does that sound alright? Or does the exhaust manifold need to be completed blocked and does the heat air affect anything if left blowing out into the engine department like that? Or should I reattached the hosing like original and just keep the airbox valve to the heated air permanently closed? The things we do to engineer a better volvo...

Thanks

My duct hose rotted away so I took it off completely, The car runs fine without it - even in the cold Ohio winters.

The air preheater is intended to improve fuel vaporization and therefore emissions and (slightly) fuel economy when the ambient air is cold. Probably not a big deal in S. Cal. But you may fail smog check if the inspector sees you've disabled it. I actually put a little remote sensing thermometer in the airbox and it showed me that the thermostatic valve is pretty erratic! I just pulled the preheat ducting off at the air box and can quickly replace it for smog inspection. Now if my thermostatic valve fails it will just draw air from down below the radiator, warm but not really hot.

You're fine with removing the air duct hose. It's connected to the heat shield for the exhaust manifold, not the manifold, so it's not like it will blow hot exhaust around. It sounds like a good idea to block the air box so that if the valve opens it won't suck in air from the engine compartment.
You're right about the living in California thing, we don't need the extra heat to warm up the engine. It's not worth the risk to the air mass meter (it fails if it gets too hot).

I did the same thing in effect last week. I also live in So. Ca., just hang on to that hose for the next smog inspection as they will fail you if it's not attached properly.

Kirk Swan