Dear Bob F, I am so-o-o grateful for your ingenious solution to the left threaded thermocoupler. Apparently the kit for converting the heater to the right threaded thermocoupler includes a new valve and burner at a cost of well over $300 Canadian. With freight I was looking at $400. Crazy. For anyone else out there that may encounter the same problem, Amazon has an adapter that slips over the new thermocoupler to mate with the left threads at a cost of $16. Similar solution to yours, Bob but better for someone without a visa and a dremel.

MikeC