Thermostat Housing & Heater Outlet Elbow
 

Folks
I have an '88 F150 with the 300" I6.

The bent tube from the thermostat housing that connects to the heater inlet hose - and has an ECM temp sensor screwed in - is so corroded it looks like it could go at any time, although the stat housing itself is just fine.

I understand that Ford does not have these outlet tubes any longer, and I cannot find one here in Atlantic Canada from a wreck.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how one might be MacGyvered? If it wasn't for the sensor, I could see it wouldn't be that bad but the need to have a T - or other threaded fitting - for that temp sensor is bugging me.

Thanks.

Did MacGuyver ever visit a wrecking yard?

I interpreted his post to mean he could not find one in a wrecking yard.

I had the same problem; I needed a threaded fitting so that I could install a temperature switch for an electric fan. My replacement thermostat housing did not have any provisions for a threaded fitting, but my water pump did, so I installed the temperature switch in the water pump.

They say not to read temperature off the water pump, because the incoming coolant from the radiator is not a realistic read of the temperature throughout the rest of the engine. However, it doesn't seem to be an issue on my engine. I know the temperatures at which my fan is supposed to kick ON and OFF - and according to my mechanical temperature gauge (installed at the factory location), the switch is turning the fan ON and OFF at the exactly correct temperatures. This tells me there is not much of a temperature differential between the water pump and the factory sending unit location at the rear passenger side of the block, on my particular setup at least.

I have a lead, potentially, to the piece I need for C$52...thinking it might be easier to visit a performance shop here and see if they've had to deal with this one before.

Can't believe that neither Ford OR the Aftermarket make this elbow piece any more.

It is entirely believable. Not much demand for parts for a 25 year old vehicle of any make. Little or no demand = no market.

Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

Junkyard search tool, a lot of them will ship.

Yuh-huh - I've tracked down stuff via that search facility before with equal measures of success & fail. It was from there that I found the C$52 part in Alberta...could try searching the US wreckers, I guess.

Thanks

And yet the housing itself is widely available - OEM and aftermarket. The I6 motor is still in widespread use and was in production until 1996...just 13 years ago.

I had to rig up a set up for a v6 mustang similar to what you describe . Parts not out there . I went to a hardware store , bought some fittings and a bit of pipe and made one . I may have found one , but the customer needed to leave the next day to report for duty on base . So I did what I could to get him going .

Call up Green Sales Company it looks like they have Qty. 20 of E8TZ-8555-A tubes that may be what you are after.

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Could also be: E2TZ-18599-A... 90° 5/8" hose connection x 3/8" engine connection x 3/8" female connection.

There are a couple of these around, too....

B&B Auto Parts - Ford Bronx, NY 10460 718-892-1186 has 1

NOS Parts, Ltd. Waxahachie, Texas (972) 937-2201 has 1

I bought a new one at VatoZone a couple years ago-made of cast iron.
Here's the part: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...8069_0_0_12650

It's part# 814976