Weird thing in the MotoRad 206-180 Box

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vames

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New thermostat arrived in the mail today. MotoRad 206-180. Included in the box were two gold ball studs - the things that gas springs hook onto. Is there something I’m not getting here? Also, is a thermostat supposed to come with a new gasket or seal?

Ironically i see these ball studs every day because they’re on the products that my family’s company manufactures (hot tub cover lifters).

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Boxed incorrectly. Throw them in the tool box. Might can use them for carburetor linkage or some such.
 
I'm wondering with no gasket if it was a return
That was my thought exactly.

Send it back as you got it and write defective on the box.

Go buy another and a Home thermostat gasket. Install EXACTLY as the directions say and have a dry thermostat housing.
 
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Thanks guys. Yeah - i have no faith in something that arrives like this so I’m not going to install. I don’t usually order off Amazon but this was a quick free delivery attempt. Reminds me why I don’t like to order stuff like this on Amazon!
 
Maybe not worth the hassle to return? Gaskets $1-2 bucks?? Throw thermostat in a pot of water and heat up, see if it opens?
 
Thanks guys. I warmed up the stat and it started to open around 165 and was fully open at 180, so it seems to be functional. Old one was stuck open so I was heating up very slow and running too cool. I looked back at the listing and determined that it doesn't come with a gasket, so I picked up a Felpro from O'Reilly on the way home. I'll put a super thin layer of rtv on the gasket and get it all together this weekend.
 
. I'll put a super thin layer of rtv on the gasket and get it all together this weekend
Word of advice.

  1. Follow the rtv instructions, most of us don't read directions!
  2. Let it all setup overnight (24 hours even better) before you add coolant.
  3. Clean out the bolt holes in the intake, run the bolts in (by hand) till they bottom out. Make sure the remaining distance from the manifold to the underside of the bolt head is smaller than the thickness of the t stat housing.
  4. torque the bolts to spec, not " that feels about right"

I have always had t stat housing leaks on all my cars (regardless of brand or age) till I started following my own advise.
 
Word of advice.

  1. Follow the rtv instructions, most of us don't read directions!
  2. Let it all setup overnight (24 hours even better) before you add coolant.
  3. Clean out the bolt holes in the intake, run the bolts in (by hand) till they bottom out. Make sure the remaining distance from the manifold to the underside of the bolt head is smaller than the thickness of the t stat housing.
  4. torque the bolts to spec, not " that feels about right"

I have always had t stat housing leaks on all my cars (regardless of brand or age) till I started following my own advise.

Thank you for this. I appreciate the advice.
 
DO they come with gaskets up there? They don't down here. Not for a LONG time.

I looked closer at the listing and -- they don't (not Motorad anyway). I haven't bought a thermostat in 20 years so I had just assumed.
 
I looked closer at the listing and -- they don't (not Motorad anyway). I haven't bought a thermostat in 20 years so I had just assumed.
I was assistant manager at a local O'Reilly store and not one single one we sold ever came with one.
 
I fixed it in my post. Thanks

Here is the link to the dodge specific page. Thermostat gasket is about 1/2 way to the bottom

Dodge Archives

View attachment 1716036458
Please explain what makes this gasket better. About ten years ago, I pulled my 340 for a complete paint job. While it was out, I painted the motor. I also replaced the thermostat to try and get rid of an irritating dribbling leak. The leak got worse. I tried several gaskets a changed types and amounts of sealer. I then bought a new chrome housing. BIG mistake, it leaked worse. Finally, I bought a Billet Specialties housing with an O ring. Problem solved, leak gone. So I am curious what is different about this gasket. BTW, I was dealing with an Air Gap intake. I even tried carefully block sanding the mounting surfaces.
 
I tried several gaskets a changed types and amounts of sealer. I then bought a new chrome housing. BIG mistake, it leaked worse. Finally, I bought a Billet Specialties housing with an O ring. Problem solved, leak gone. So I am curious what is different about this gasket. BTW, I was dealing with an Air Gap intake. I even tried carefully block sanding the mounting surfaces.

Ugh, as a daily-driving hobbyist, I dread hearing these kind of stories. I'm just gonna follow @Dana67Dart's advice above, keep it all clean, and it's just gonna seal perfectly the first time (he says while biting his nails a bit).
 
So I am curious what is different about this gasket
My engine: 67 273 2bbl.

  1. The intake has pitting on the thermostat housing mating surface.
  2. I bought a OEM style repo stock t stat housing
  3. I cleaned out the holes
  4. I put the Real Gasket on per their instructions
  5. Torqued it to their instruction
  6. 16lb cap
  7. Not a drop in 5+ years.
  8. Plus it is reusable
  9. $11.00 vs $65.00
I have never had a car not leak at the t sat housing after a year.
 
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Real Gasket works just like stated. I tried everything, every way, to seal my thermostat housing, when I thought that I had it, I didn't. The Real Gasket worked. It did however fail when I installed a Flowkooler water pump, it blew out 2 times in a row. So it when into my stock 318 build, works as advertised. So I went with a Flashpower o-ringed housing for the Flowkooler water pump, no issues with it now.
 
I've just found that using the same material t-stat housing as the intake manifold keeps it from leaking. I check the bolt threading depth and use a regular paper gasket with light film of gray RTV on both sides. Also coat the bolt threads with liquid PTFE. Lightly thread in the bolts just until the RTV starts to squeeze out then leave it overnight. Next day, torque the bolts down and reassemble. My D200 and Duster both have 360s with LA Edelbrock intake manifolds and both have aluminum replacement t-stat housings from the parts store. I don't like how they don't have the rib on top for the upper rad hose to "grab" onto but I've never had an issue with the upper hose blowing off and I have high-flow water pumps on both engines.

The housing on my D200 does weep from time to time but that intake manifold (Eddy Performer) is very old and beat-up, had to chase a lot of threads and for some reason the sealing surface around the thermostat is not as wide as others I've had. I don't really care anyway as it's not a show vehicle, I use it for towing and hauling.
 
Mine went in with a new Felpro gasket. Very thin layer of RTV applied on the gasket and the bolt threads. Torqued the housing to about 28 ft-lbs (FSM is 30 ft-lbs but 28 felt right). I let the gasket sit out with RTV about an hour before installing and let the installed unit sit about 18 hours before filling and starting the car. No leaks so far and the car is warming to temp a lot more swiftly.
 
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