Adding a 203* T-stat questions

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Oct 30, 2007 | 04:29 PM

alstieg

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Adding a 203* T-stat questions

I'm planning on addding a 203* tstat in my truck. I've heard the T stat housing in known for leaking when reinstalling. I'm wondering what kind of gasket or sealer can I use that would seal real good without having to buy a new aluminum housing?

Oct 30, 2007 | 04:47 PM

nlemerise

Logistics Pro

Joined: Jun 2005

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From: AZ

Strongly suggest you put on the boillet t-stat hounsing when you do the thermostat. The OEM is junk when it is new, let alone when it is used!

Oct 30, 2007 | 04:49 PM

country2

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I 2nd that buy the new Billet housing

Oct 30, 2007 | 04:53 PM

miller_feed

Hook it, I'll pull it.

Joined: May 2007

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From: Grand Lake, La.

I agree with buying the billit housing. My oem was rust pitted. Glad I bought the new one before I started changing the stat. I also bought new bolts at IH dealer, I think they were like .30 each.

Oct 30, 2007 | 05:27 PM

Kwikkordead

Fleet Owner

Joined: Jun 2004

Posts: 25,090

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From: Rio Rico, AZ.

No matter what housing you get, the most misunderstood way of sealing those flanges is to use some sort of gasket maker.
Use only a very thin coating of waterproof silicone grease on the o-ring.
The o-ring needs to be able to move around in the groove to to accomodate expansion and contraction of the fitting and if you glue it down you are pretty much guarenteeing yourself a leak.
If you give it some lube to slide on it will hold water for years.
I've been using that technique for 20+ years now and have never had anything come back leaking on me, even 10+ years later.
The best stuff to use is the plumbers lube in a tube. You can get it at swimming pool/hot tub stores. It's super thick and a little goes a long way.

Oct 30, 2007 | 06:11 PM

santacruzf250

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Joined: May 2007

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Kwik is absolutely right. I work in the swimming pool industry and when making repairs, silicone lube is always applied to O-rings (new and used).

I'm sure you can get silicone lube at any hardware store but any pool supply shop should carry small bottles also.

Oct 30, 2007 | 06:20 PM

Texas Outlaw

Not a liberal...

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 6,635

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From: Cut & Shoot, Texas

Once you take that OEM housing off you will see why everyone switches to the aluminum billet one.

I changed mine out at 62,000 miles and I couldn't believe how bad a shape it was in.

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Oct 30, 2007 | 06:25 PM

F250_

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From: North of Greenville

If you work in a lab, it's called "vacuum grease" because it is what is used to seal the dessicators and other glass fittings that are used for cooling samples from an oven, and the cooling object results in drawing a vacuum inside the dessicator because the glass surfaces are well ground for good flat fits, and the "vacuum grease" will withstand tha vacuum and not allow the seal to be broken. It's really nasty stuff, though, in terms of beign potenially really messy to work with - hard to clean up unless you have good solvents around.

Another tidbit... it works as a great practical joke when rubbed somehwat thickly inside the ear piece on a telephone.

Sorry about the useless information, but I just wanted to see my post count hit 2500 even before going home.