Thermostat housing leaking

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DARTGAME

SuPeRcHaRgEd
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Jan 20, 2005
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santa barbara,ca
Thermostat housing under weiand 144 leaking,can't get it to seal. Looks like I have to pull the blower to get to it. What is everyone using for a thermostat housing?

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Chrome ones are famous for leaking. You can lay down a piece of glass(super flat), sandpaper on the glass, then tstat housing on it to try and "true" the surface up. Not sure of who makes a good angled one.
 
Get an aluminum one or stock or steel, the chrome ones are made of pot metal with heat they tend to warp, you can try to sand it flat but with time they will warp again.
 
If you machine it flat, you may have to also machine the stat-receiver shelf. If left too shallow, the stat will cut the gasket, and prevent the sandwich from stacking flat; and that will cause the freshly machined housing to warp as soon as the bolts are tightened. Pressure test it before the blower goes back on,lol.
I install studs into the manifold, and use slanty manifold washers to spread the clamping load. Those special washers were also used on factory 318LAs on the 4 corner studs of the exhaust manifolds.
Up here in igloo-land I get away with a 7psi cap. That is an immense relief on the cooling system.
 
After trying 3 chrome housings and still getting a leak, I went back to using a cast iron one and my nightmare was over... no more leaks!
 
My cure for the problem was to use a housing that was flat with no shelf for the thermostat and put it together without a stat. The install an inline thermostat out where it would be more accessible. Works perfect and is much easier for future service.

Jack
 
Get an aluminum one or stock or steel, the chrome ones are made of pot metal with heat they tend to warp, you can try to sand it flat but with time they will warp again.

So true, been through 3 gaskets on mine, even set it up in a Bridgeport to mill the surface... still leaks lol
 
After trying 3 chrome housings and still getting a leak, I went back to using a cast iron one and my nightmare was over... no more leaks!
I also had to try two chrome housings, the first one was a total fail before I rebuilt my engine. After I rebuilt my engine, I thought I could get the chrome one right and it did hold for about 800 miles then started leaking also. I dug out one of my stockers for my motor and planed the base for flatness and carefully reinstalled it and no more leak. I am using a 12# radiator cap. The only down side for me was I had the heat shrink hose clamps on all the hoses in my engine bay and now I have one SS screw clamp on the redone thermostat housing. At this point I am good with it, no leak:)
 
I used a Mopar Performance chrome one with no gasket, only a thin bead of blue Permatex. I ordered a chrome one from local parts store before the Mopar one, although they look almost identical they are not. The Mopar one sits flat on a smooth surface while the whatever brand one did not sit perfectly flat and would rock from side to side if wiggled by hand. I should add that I use Evans coolant and a 7lb cap.
 
I would like to find something that I don’t have to pull the blower off every time. Might look for something with a lower profile on the mounting edge to slide between the blower. Thanks for everyone’s input.
 
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You're lucky, on most of the DLI manifolds the thermostat housing is welded shut. Notice the two nipples welded in on the manifold..
 
Well after about two months of fooling around with the chrome piece(had it surfaced) and purchased multiple water necks I found the right set up. Along the way carburetor leaks and wiring issues! Ha! Back on the road.

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FYI, ended up buying three different water necks and spending about $480 total on it. Now I have three brand new water neck paper weights!

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