Technical Thermostat gasket

Got a new aluminum thermostat housing with O ring. Do I need to add sealant to O ring or install it dry. Anybody know what the torque specs are? Being installed on a 283 chevy engine. Thanks for any help.

 

O ring should not need any sealant. You might want to put some Never Seize between the parts to stop them corroding together.

 

Good questions. I'd try dry if the mating surface is in good condition. If it's not in good condition, I'd toss the thing and get one of these, and use a gasket, with aviation permatex sealer

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...=Search_C0420_1325304_3090&pt=C0420&ppt=C0331

and torque the bolts to around 20 foot lbs, either way

 

I think it torques to 15 foot pounds. I have never torqued one, I just tighten it up. Something to keep in mind, make sure that the bolts are not too long. I see that all the time, for some reason a standard out of the bin bolt has a tendency to be about an eighth too long.

 

Thanks, squirrel. I've been looking for these, so I bought four. You never know...

 

For an o-ring I would use something like swimming pool pump lube. Any pool store will have it and its slilcone based. For that matter a little blue RTV would work, but use it sparingly.

 

Those thermostat housings with "O" rings are usually made in China and are worthless. They usually corrode through or leak in no time. Buy a cast aluminum housing with a flat gasket once and you'll never have to replace it again.

 

Good or bad, I always put studs in the intake and them put the housing on, never had a cheepo or a good 1 leak.

 

had a chrome one, it leaks all the time, I thought a O ring would seal

 

the problem with the chrome ones, is they're made of zinc (pot metal). The one I pictured is made of aluminum. There are some newer ones with the O ring that are made of aluminum, but they're a bit too modern for my tastes.

 

I called jeff Gordon chevy, for a original one , their books didn't go back far enough

 

Most auto parts stores sell replacements. They used to be made of cast iron, but these days they're made of aluminum.

 

Yep, avoid Chinese junk and avoid headaches..............funny how that works huh?

 

Although the new replacement ones are made in china, too. But they're more likely to work

 

yea ,I wish I had called Oreilly

 

I've noticed in the past few years that car dealerships are totally useless for parts for our old stuff

 

Not too far from me is Bob Hook Chevrolet that has a performance section. A while back I needed a SBC thermostat housing an called them and asked if they had any that were not made in China. All they had were the cheap Chinese chrome steel housings which are garbage. Early SBC F.I. housings were made of cast aluminum with flat gaskets and no "O' rings. They fit after market intakes as well as stock intakes. I buy them on eBay usually in the $20-$30 range. Get one it will last forever.

 

I have the Mr. Gasket housing with the o-ring and it has not leaked. Going on a few years of driving. BUT, the one before it sprung a leak. So, it's a crap shoot. The best bet is to get an original cast one. It may set you back a bit, but it will probably last forever.

I miss the old style cast ones that took a gasket. I'll probably get one, when my cheap Chinese one springs a leak. If it ever does.

 

I don't like the way the o ring fits so I am going to take it off and use a flat gasket in its place.

 

You and me both Don,,mine leaked like a sieve. HRP

 

Wasn't it a cheap ass o-ring that caused that space shuttle disaster? Just a thought.

 

well I guess I am doomed

 

We had one chrome neck that leaked no matter what we did to it. We tried all kinds of permatex sealants with one and even two gaskets, and we filed the manifold and the neck flat so there was no distortion between them.......still leaked.

Finally, we used Permatex "The Right Stuff" and planned to put a new gasket on with it, but we forgot the gasket. It still sealed perfectly and is still holding 4 years later. Now I just use The Right Stuff for almost every gasket I make. I just installed a finned aluminum valley cover on the Olds engine for my rpu and I used The Right Stuff again and it did a really good job.

Try it, you'll love it. It comes in an aerosol can like Cheez Wiz so you just lay down a nice bead and that is it.

Don

 

a $15 can of sealer to "fix" a part than be replaced by one that works for $10. Gotta love it

 

That's assuming you don't use the same can for other jobs, like end gaskets on intakes, water pumps, etc. I pay $5 and change for it (I get the employee price) and a can goes a long way. But even if it took the whole can, if it works it is worth it.

Don

 

I bought a can of that stuff once, it worked ok for what I used it on, but it went bad by the time I found another use for it.

 

How timely, Last week I replaced my chrome one that got a leak (rotted through). The new one from Autozone came with an O ring, I used a few small dabs of gasket maker to hold the O ring in the groove, put it on, and no leaks.

Like Beaner said, just tighten it up. And the old bolts did look like they would bottom and the new ones looked cheap (though a better, shorter length) so I bought a couple shorter ones to use.

I will now keep my eyes open for an old original iron one as a spare.

 

That's the only draw back. I started using, after seeing a thread here on it. Mine was still good about 2 weeks after I first used it, but by week 3, game over.

My engine guy swears by those damn intake end gaskets. Until the one on my new motor leaked. I told him to use "The Right Stuff" or I'd keep coming back pissed. He swears by it now.

Oh, I stopped by O'Reilly's this morning and got that housing you suggested and a couple bolts. I'll toss it under my seat, just in case. Cheap insurance.