302 water neck

[savage]

I rebuilt my 302 and have been fighting a small leak with my water neck. I have got it to only weeps when it sits over night, but it doesn't leave a noticeable leak just wet to the touch, once it warm up it doesn't weep at all. I have been looking at swivel styles, and stock styles. I have a 90degree that come on it when I bought it 15 years ago. What are you guys and women using that your happy with, o-ring style or gasket.

 

[75junebug]

Mine always leaks from the short bypass hose.....no matter how tight, it always seem to weep. I use avaiation permatex on the gasket to the neck, nothing on the gasket to the intake. Never had any leaks, even on badly corroded surfaces.

 

[Tom Hartz]

I fought the same thing for a month or so. Making sure everything was clean, clean, clean. Cast iron housing would not fit. I found a aluminum one that did fit with a little grinding by the bypass hose, but it seeped. I made sure it was flat with a piece of emery cloth on a piece of polished granite. I am thinking the grove for the thermostat was just not deep enough and the gasket did not have even pressure. Not wanting to go to the swivel O Ring kind because I have heard too many problems with them. I found one from Meziere Enterprises part number WN0023U and purchased it from Summit Racing. The fit and finish is fantastic. Here are two pictures of it next to the cast one I tried.





It is not cheap. $125.00 but at some point my time and frustration is worth more than that. I had to go with a 90 degree one to clear the Vintage Air that was added to the Bronco. Here it a shot of it installed on the engine.



The best part is no more leaks.

Good luck.
Tom

 

[blubuckaroo]

I've tried several variations over the years. Thank goodness I hung onto original. It's back on there now. The problem I've found is the ears are not very heavy and with too much bolt torque, the housing gets warped. A little work with a large flat file will make it flat again. I find that If I just wet the gasket with a light coating of RTV, it seals up good.

 

[savage]

Has anyone used the ford racing water neck?http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fms-m-8592-m90

 

[Fairlane514]

My water neck is more of a 30-45 degree, not 90…….

I know this is not the original engine, but I assume that the water neck is correct.

Is it suppose to be 90 degree?

 

[bronconut73]

I've tried several variations over the years. Thank goodness I hung onto original. It's back on there now. The problem I've found is the ears are not very heavy and with too much bolt torque, the housing gets warped. A little work with a large flat file will make it flat again. I find that If I just wet the gasket with a light coating of RTV, it seals up good.

Light RTV on both the sides of the gasket is the only thing that seems to stop the leaks at the t-stat housing for me.
Got my t-stat housing at BC.

 

[blubuckaroo]

My water neck is more of a 30-45 degree, not 90…….

I know this is not the original engine, but I assume that the water neck is correct.

Is it suppose to be 90 degree?

No, it shouldn't be 90 degrees. The standard radiator hose would have a twist in it.

 

[Tom Hartz]

Light RTV on both the sides of the gasket is the only thing that seems to stop the leaks at the t-stat housing for me.
Got my t-stat housing at BC.

I did that about 4 times with different gaskets, letting it dry for 12 hours and it still leaked. That is when I said enough and went with a different housing.

 

[Tom Hartz]

No, it shouldn't be 90 degrees. The standard radiator hose would have a twist in it.

True. I had to go with a 90 degree to clear the Vintage Air AC compressor.
The hose I found that works is from a 1968 GTO.

 

[El_Ducko]

I've tried to reseal mine 4 times in the last 3 months with a new cast water neck. I bought a pack of 10 Stant gaskets that have the adhesive on one side to hold the thermostat in place and put rtv on the manifold side and it still leaked. So this last time I sanded the manifold and the water neck and just used the gasket and no RTV, per the instructions on Stants website, still leaked. I hate this design.
At least i have 8 more gaskets to try!

 

[Tom Hartz]

I've tried to reseal mine 4 times in the last 3 months with a new cast water neck. I bought a pack of 10 Stant gaskets that have the adhesive on one side to hold the thermostat in place and put rtv on the manifold side and it still leaked. So this last time I sanded the manifold and the water neck and just used the gasket and no RTV, per the instructions on Stants website, still leaked. I hate this design.
At least i have 8 more gaskets to try!

Do you need a 90 degree? If so check out the one I bought as posted above. I have tried everything short of machining the thermostat groove deeper. I still think that has something to do with it. The new one I installed uses a O-Ring instead of a gasket and so far so good.