Looking for any help in locating a complete thermostat housing for a 370 V8 engine in 1983 F600 truck. Thanks in advance, Buckeye Bob

 

Upper hose come straight out the top or front? Is yours cracked?

 

Top hose comes out the top of thermostat housing. Is not cracked but wanted to replace thermostats(if there are two)as part of cooling system rebuild. Waterpump, all hoses and such. Assuming thermostst housing is made of aluminum, figured bolts would be fused and do not want to end up needing parts when none are available. Thermostat housing is horribly corroded and looks like it has not been apart since 1983. Will post pics later today. Any advice or opinions greatly appreciated! Buckeye Bob

 

It should be fine. Corroded or not, they are still pretty tough. IIRC they are tough to take off but as long as you don't strip the bolt heads or stud nuts, it should come off the intake fine.

I would check with the usual part stores and then try a few JY's if you are set on getting one.

 

 

C Bakker ,please take a look at this pic and in your honest opinion, do u think it possible to break it down and put it back together? Or leave it alone?

 

Personally, I don't think I'd touch it without a replacement ready to go in!

Doesn't the pic look like cast iron?

This is vaguely, very vaguely, familiar. Seems somebody here many years ago had some sort of water outlet that was a big chunk, that had two big holes on its underside, not at all like a simple 460 water outlet. I don't remember what other functions it had, why it was that way. Does that sound like yours?

 

Thanks Torky2 for your imput. I have not yet determined of what metal it is manufactured. Whether it is cast iron or aluminum would that change your advice? And yes,as much as I have researched, the bottom has two large holes. To your knowledge there is no commonality with other 385 series engines, specifically the 429 and 460? Sorry to be long-winded but I do not want to paint myself in a corner!

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone out there with anything to offer please jump on board! To address earlier questions or comments, traditional parts suppliers and salvage yards have nothing to offer thus far! But thanks for your assistance in this matter, just trying to get the old F600 back on the road hauling hay!

 

A magnet will tell you real quick whether its cast iron or some die-casting pot metal.

A question - The upper radiator hose connects to that upper metal piece, that flares out into a rectangular shape. Right under that, I see a parting line that is horizontal. The area underneath looks like a rectangular "box". Is that lower "box" a separate part that is bolted onto the intake manifold?

Or does the intake manifold itself have that "box" formed into its casting? It looks pretty tall. I'm wondering if it is a separate piece. It also looks cast iron. Is your intake manifold cast iron, or is it aluminum?

Years ago, somebody here had a problem, and his description didn't fit what just about everybody was expecting. Couldn't make heads or tails of what he had. He described it more, the phrase "water box" comes to mind, but it was many years ago. I'm going out on a limb here with my memory... he may have said the water box sat on top of the manifold, and it was shot, and he couldn't find another. I don't remember WHAT the resolution was, whether he found another one after all, or pulled it off and found a way to do without it as designed. And I'm not 100% sure that it had to be on a 385-series engine.

 

That thing does look nasty. I would keep looking for a replacement. I thought I had seen a 429 with that somewhere but testing my memory also.