This is starting to drive me a little nuts - My thermostat housing never leaked until I rebuilt the motor. First I used a Felpro gasket and orange silicone, it seeped in the front.

I took it off and laid it flat on my table saw, I noted the ends were a little higher. I used 80 grit sand paper and got it until it was flat on the table saw surface.

New Gasket, silcone - and still the dumb thing seeps. I have tightened it up as much as as I can and it seems to have stopped - not completely, there is still a tiny bit there.

What is the best way to seal these things, should I just buy a new one?

Thks

Rich

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70 SS - L34
Member # 442
www.chevelles.com/showroom/richr1 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/richr1)

http://www.my70ss.com

I ditched mine in favor of the O ring type. No leaks.

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Steve Beuth

69 Malibu ZZ4-350
79 Trans Am
93 Camaro Z28
99 Silverado
Chevelle pics (http://hometown.aol.com/zz69chevelle/myhomepageauto2.html)

Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Steve,

Thks - where did you purchase the o-ring type, I'll give it a try.

Thks

Rich

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70 SS - L34
Member # 442
www.chevelles.com/showroom/richr1 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/richr1)

http://www.my70ss.com

It was either summit or jegs. They both sell them. I got a cheap one, and haven't had a bit of trouble with for a year now.

Rich,

I'm not much of an engine guy, and don't know what exact sealant was used, but a knowlegable mechanic used a what appeared to be a bright yellow colored sealant on the '70's thermostat housing. Hasn't leaked a drop in over 10 years. If anyone knows what this stuff was/is, I'd appreciate it.

Joe,

Thks,

Believe it or not I believe that yellow stuff is 3m weather strip adhesive. It's funny you should mention that as my friend who has a shop just advised me this morning to use it.

Maybe I'll give it a try.

Thks

Rich

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70 SS - L34
Member # 442
www.chevelles.com/showroom/richr1 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/richr1)

http://www.my70ss.com

Dress the manifold surface too. I use a fine flat file. Use RTV, no gasket required. Let it set up for a few minutes.Install housing. Wipe excess away. LET SET FOR 24 hrs or at least overnight.

Encourage you to avoid chrome ones. The one that came on my car rotted from the inside out.

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Gene Chaas
Gold Member 62/ACES 3112
67 SS 427 (http://www.chevelles.com/feature/october2000.html)
"Be big. Be a builder."

Gene hit the nail on the head. The less expensive housings (typically chromed) are made from very cheap pot metal or cheap cast aluminum. Slightly old antifreeze can become like acid to metals such as this which rots them out from the inside out. I've seen aluminum intakes that have completely rotted through the metal to cause a huge leak!

If you do use one of these cheaper items, make sure keep your antifreeze fresh (change it once a year) or keep looking for a better housing.

The cheap chrome o-ring jobbie on the truck was seeping just before the trip to Nashville when I removed it to check out why. The metal was completely dissolved in one spot (two year-old coolant) which allowed the o-ring to shift thus causing the leak.

I now have an ultra-rare '65 Chevelle L79 only cast iron housing on the truck motor. Cast iron is always best and it was all I had available (a spare for the Chevelle) at the time I needed one.

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NCOA member #220
ACES member #1670
Team Chevelle #998
YesterYears Chevys #52949
Rich's 1965 Malibu SS Restoration Project Progress Page (http://www.geocities.com/ticklewiggle/)
1:18 scale diecast car Detailing by Scooter (http://www.amhost.com/scooter/)

Do a search on this topic and my user name. Ther is an EXCELENT piece made by Felpro that any local parts place with have. It is about 1/8" thick and has a 'built-in' or-ring. It sealed perfect the first time with ZERO adheasive stuff. I've since re-used the thing and it's still working awesome!

ONly cost me about $2.90 I think.

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71' 3880# with me. Big Block 402, TH400, 3.73 posi,
BEST 1/8th: 8.252 @ 84.56mph (1.855 sixty foot)
Last years previous best 1/4: 13.1sec @ 105 MPH (2.10 sixty foot)
Picture of me roasting the tires and other guy stuff (http://www.auburnextremeracing.org/drivers/mike/)
Video of me staging (smoke of course) (http://www.notabusinessracing.org/videos/mike_chevelle_burnout.avi)

Believe it or not, I still use the old standby..Indian Head gasket sealant. On a car that gets 2000 miles a month, it's never failed. Been using it for the last 37 years, 31 years on the Chevelle. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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MalibuJerry350
TC Member #1279
Original owner '70 Chevelle.
551,000+ miles on car.
Hey, if it's got wheels, DRIVE IT!
My Chevelle: http://hometown.aol.com/erie614/myhomepage/index.html

And BTW, I bought my iron housing at Carquest, for a 67 396 Chevelle. Cost $11.25. ( + $20 for JetHot!). So dont think they are no longer avail "over the counter". They are. Cheap too!

Ditto to BB Mike's reply. Those special Fel-Pro gaskets are the way to go. I believ the part number starts with 22 something.

you might also try rtv on the bolt threads if you haven't already. Mine leaked like crazy until I did this.



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Charles Perrell
cperrell@yahoo.com
65 malibu SS Convertible
283 2v powerglide

Just a reference to the 'yellow stuff' that Coppertop was asking about. If it's the same yellow gooey stuff i've used, it is 3M weatherstrip adhesive as richr said, and it's come in handy a number of times. Damn good product and you should be able to pick it up at any hardware store for cheap.

victor gaskets has a problem solver gasket and it works real well no leaks at all but i dont remeber the part number i will have to look it up tommrow (i work for car quest)the gasket is an aluminum spacer with neoprene seals around the t-stat and bolts.i used one on my small block and like i said it worked great.


chris

I'll 2nd, 3rd, 4th, the 3M weather strip adhesive. Best stuff out there. They also make it in black. The only draw back, if you get a little to crazy with it, you'll need a sledge hammer to get the thing back off.

Go with the Felpro gasket like BB Mike said and stay away from chrome t-stat housings.I have the Felpro gaskets on two Chevys of mine and they are reusable!!!!!!!
Gene

Another vote here for the 3M weather strip adhesive (up here we call it "gorilla snot").
Been using this stuff for years and works great...... just make sure you use a 1/8 bead and let it set up for about 10-15 mins before installing.
Once you torque it down, wet your finger and smooth what "squishes" out. You'll never leak with it.

-Greg

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69ht383>Smokumchevy
TC member#610

"Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it"
"Junk is something you throw away three weeks before you need it"

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</A>
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Rich, I use a GM Thermostat Housing seal with a silicone bead built into it on each side, GM PN# 10105135. Year One also sells it, PN 9513N.

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Dan Orgill
1969 SS396 frame off in progress
Very.......slllooooowwww......progress