Replacement thermostat housing?

[LUBr LuvR]

Little backstory. Been chasing a thermostat leak on stock 302 since doing a radiator flush. Checked intake face (straight). Sanded slight bend on housing, resurfaced recess where thermostat (Motorcraft #RT-1139) sits to ensure it was below face of housing.

After several rounds with different gaskets, Gasgacinch, ziptie to hold the Tstat in place etc, (dang I despise that one bolt) thought finally had it fixed. Stayed dry after test run, gave one last swipe under the housing before going for celebratory drive and yep, came up with coolant

A video revealed the culprit - a porous place in the casting.

Leads to the main question - which (non-threaded) replacement housing/vendor has anyone found as a suitable replacement? Really only want to do this one more time....

Thanks in advance!

 

[Steve83]

If you don't want to just seal the porous area (from the inside, after sandblasting or thorough cleaning), don't under any circumstances buy a chromed one.

(click this text)


If I didn't have a few good spare originals, I'd probably buy this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CNJ6FA/?tag=classicbroncos-20

 

[LUBr LuvR]

If you don't want to just seal the porous area (from the inside, after sandblasting or thorough cleaning), don't under any circumstances buy a chromed one.

(click this text)


If I didn't have a few good spare originals, I'd probably buy this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CNJ6FA/?tag=classicbroncos-20

Steve, thanks for the reply.

The inside is clean, but the underside casting is rougher than most and not sure this would be the last of the issues. This one appears to have been previously worked on more than once over the years.

Would prefer a good original, but also want to get this back on the road. Was looking at this one from Dennis. Carpenter, without the threaded port. Heard the horror stories about the chrome ones. That pic shows why to avoid them at all costs, yikes!

Was hoping someone who’s had to replace one would chime in - or if anyone has a good used one they’d part with, please let me know.

 

[bax]

Mary, you want me too look around in the container and see if I got one. Did not know you wanted an original so you dont want the threaded vacuum port one?

 

[LUBr LuvR]

Hey Roger,

If you would, that would be great. The current one is does not have the port, so figured to go back with the same. It’s a manual steering/brake rig. May eventually add power steering. Any reason to switch to one with the port?

Have a 74 with (non-working/project for another day) old dealer added AC. That’s the only rig I have with a port in the thermostat.

Thanks, Mary

 

[bax]

No need to have the vacuum port. I will go look.

 

[bax]

Sorry Mary. I looked and thought for sure I had one on an old 289 intake. Nope its been taken off. Looked in lots of bins and totes and boxes but no luck. Sorry I could not help. I do have one aluminum with the port plugged. You are welcome to it. But those are easy at any parts store. Tasker might be able to find you one in some old ford stock. He is kind of a parts magician at times.

 

[LUBr LuvR]

Hey Roger, thanks for looking - and sorry for the time spent on the search. Hope you found something else you were looking for while hunting? I was going to say something about a magician’s wand, but that could go downhill really quick

 

[bax]

Hey Roger, thanks for looking - and sorry for the time spent on the search. Hope you found something else you were looking for while hunting? I was going to say something about a magician’s wand, but that could go downhill really quick

If only a magic wand would fix the down hill bend. I did find a few things. I must have 7 gas pedal assemblies, How did I get that many? I realized I have more Cleveland stuff than Windsor stuff? Plus a couple of buckets full of just dana 20 stuff. But no thermostat housing???? How odd.

 

[Steve83]

Would prefer a good original... Was looking at this one from Dennis. Carpenter, without the threaded port.

Looks like the 4Seasons part I linked, at double the price. I have some used later originals, but I've sandblasted & painted them, so they're worth more to me. I still recommend the one from Amazon.

 

[jonesallu]

I tried to find an original one too. I ended up using one from Napa, part number 6051056. It's made by Four Seasons. The casting looked pretty good and no leaks so far.



The Mr. Gasket one is chrome and I looked at it. It looks cheap and I thought the casting quality was poor.

Good luck,
Al Jones
'71 U

 

[LUBr LuvR]

If only a magic wand would fix the down hill bend. I did find a few things. I must have 7 gas pedal assemblies, How did I get that many? I realized I have more Cleveland stuff than Windsor stuff? Plus a couple of buckets full of just dana 20 stuff. But no thermostat housing???? How odd.

If your avatar is any indication, the extra gas pedal assemblies are backup for those that get
worn out? Sounds like it’s time to build a Cleveland.....then just gotta pick a suitable candidate. Seems no matter what parts are on hand, if it’s needed the next challenge is finding it....

Looks like the 4Seasons part I linked, at double the price. I have some used later originals, but I've sandblasted & painted them, so they're worth more to me. I still recommend the one from Amazon.

I tried to find an original one too. I ended up using one from Napa, part number 6051056. It's made by Four Seasons. The casting looked pretty good and no leaks so far.

View attachment 897401

The Mr. Gasket one is chrome and I looked at it. It looks cheap and I thought the casting quality was poor.

Good luck,
Al Jones
'71 U

Appreciate the links and info, guys. Going to try NAPA, just $1 more than Amazon and available tomorrow for pick up. Will post up how it works out. Thanks for the help.

 

[bax]

Hell I was looking for a cast iron one.

 

[Steve83]

Hell I was looking for a cast iron one.

That's what I put on the blue '74 to replace the de-chromed POS. It was also a POS, but firmer - not diarrheic.

(click this text)

 

[ba123]

I was wondering which is best as well as my 5.0 one doesn’t look good enough to put back on…was planning on ordering from rockauto and they had one from Four Seasons and Gates that I was torn between. Curious why to stay away from the one with the hole and curious who makes the Napa one.

They also have a Motorad one and another Motorad with integrated thermostat.

 

[LUBr LuvR]

Hell I was looking for a cast iron one.

Lol, and I was wishing you’d found one. Would prefer cast iron over the aluminum. NAPA (aka no auto parts available) managed to miss their “pick up tomorrow” timeline.

 

[Slowleak]

Lol, and I was wishing you’d found one. Would prefer cast iron over the aluminum. NAPA (aka no auto parts available) managed to miss their “pick up tomorrow” timeline.

I was at my local NAPA today and they had nothing I needed. They don’t even mix paint anymore. The distribution center is 5 miles away and has a parts counter. I’ll start going there. The local store is about useless…

 

[bax]

Can't believe it's this hard to get a good thermostat housing.

 

[ba123]

If you want the Four Seasons one they have it at Rockauto:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/partsearch/?partnum=84884

Or at Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C2SVKC/?tag=classicbroncos-20

 

[DirtDonk]

Curious why to stay away from the one with the hole and curious who makes the Napa one.

I can't say for sure since I did not re-read the thread, but I think the reasoning as stated here was simply that the OP wanted one more like original rather than the updated later model one that was obviously not stock.
One way to enhance the stock-ish look is to paint the aluminum blue like the engine. The originals were cast-iron up to a point at least (but probably all the way to '77?) and the aluminum sticks out like a sore thumb even to the non-expert. But to someone that knows, the extra threaded boss at the top is a giveaway that it's not original too.
All that said, if you have an aluminum intake manifold, then the whole top of the engine does not look original anymore and the aluminum thermostat housing is a better match to begin with.

Hopefully that's all they were talking about when saying the new one was not desirable for them.
If not, someone will correct me and clear it up.

Paul