I attempted to change the thermostat in my 1960 F100 292 and it was a comedy of errors...without the comedy. While removing the lower radiator hose (I figured I'd change it while it was empty) I nudged the fuel line and it started leaking. Because the tank was higher than the line it went all over while I tried to put a rubber hose over it. What a nightmare...

Anyway, by the time I got it all back together and filled up with antifreeze and water, the top of the joint where the thermostat housing meets the intake had a small leak. I used a gasket (kind of on the thin side, not cork) and put a thin film of Ultra Copper RTV on both the housing and the gasket on the side that would meet the intake.

Any tips? It never leaked before I messed with it. I had also used a wire wheel in the drill to clean up the housing before I reinstalled it.

Thanks.

 

HI,

Having fun yet,

Lets go back to square 1. Ok you have it all apart and you have cleaned the intake manifold really well. Wipe it clean with some laquer thinner.

Then since you have wire wheeled the housing, do this. Get a piece of 220 wet/dry sand paper and put it on a true flat surface - like a table saw table or the like.

Put the sand paper face up on the flat surface. Put the flat side of the housing down, press down and run it back and forth about 5 times.

Then flip it over and see if you have any low spots that didn't get sanded. Depending on how low they are, if you have any that aren't too bad then you can sand the surface flat on the sand paper. If it's all eaten up or bent, then you're probably going to have to replace it. Clean this surface with laquer thinner too (Just on a rag)

Anyway, with your clean manifold, and your flat housing all cleanand ready to go, put the gasket next to the manifold, then put the thermostat in - copper bulb & spring side into the maniford, little cone pointing toward the outlet.

Put a very fine layer of gasket cememt on the housing surface and put the bolts through. Start the bolts then slide the housing up to the thermostat. Hold it with one hand, while hand and eventually wrench tightening the bolts evenly to the right torque - about 20-30 lbs - check the specs.

Should work ok!

Good luck,
Julie

 

Julie, one problem that I had was that the recessed ring for the thermostat to sit in is in the housing, NOT the intake, which makes no sense to me. What I had to do at that point is use a small hook I made from tie wire to hold the thermostat with one hand inside the little recession while I tightened the other bolts down. That seemed to work alright.

My main problem was with the housing to intake connection. It doesn't seem right that I'd need to buy another housing if it was working before. I wonder how much of a hassle it will be to find that gasket on a Sunday morning. I have a sanding block that I can use but nothing else that's true.

I've done this twice on a Y block and it hasn't sealed correctly either time...countless times on an SBC, a few times on a Mitsubishi 4g63, I even cobbed one up with a lot of RTV on a GM Quad 4 and never had a problem.

 

On other Fords that have the recess in the housing, I've used the RTV to hold the 'stat in the housing, then put the gasket onto the housing, then quickly but carefully put the housing on the manifold. If you do it any other way, you are almost guaranteed to get part of the 'stat flange under the housing. Clean out the recess really carefully, too.

 

Good point on tha way to do that, Ross. I guess I was thinking more about things going on in the right order than working from left to right or right to left. This week with work and the Holidays my mind seems to be right in thought but "off" in process.

J!

PS Deyo, any flat surface will do...kitchen counter (as long as it's not tile) or a piece of glass setting on a board....stove cook top (don't let your wife catch you).

 

I'll find a surface that will work. My block sander might do well.

Just for the sake of argument, what would happen if someone plugged up the bypass tube from the thermostat housing to the water pump? That is part of the problem. It would seem that with that allowing water to flow constantly the engine would have problems reaching and maintaining operating temp.

Just a thought...

 

The bypass is part of the design of the cooling system, is necessary and accounted for in the design of the impeller. Don't plug it.