Michael Clark <dml@mikesdakota.com> wrote:
: What is the best way to seal the tstat housing so it
: will not leak? Should I use any rtv on the gasket or
: just use it dry? I have the M1 4bbl intake if that
: makes a difference. Should I torque to what the FSM
: specifies or should I go tighter on this manifold?
: I'm having a hard time getting mine to be leak free.
I'm using an "o-ring" style thermostat housing on my
MPI 4bbl, but that didn't work very well from day one.
What solved the problem for me was using a paper gasket
and using RTV on both sides of it. (intake, RTV,
paper gasket, RTV, thermostat housing)
Om my Cuda, which uses the same size thermostat housing,
I am using the Mopar Performance chrome thermostat housing,
but due to some chips and wear on the thermostat flange on
my water pump, it didn't seal very well at all. Finally,
I got sick of playing with it and broke out the can of
Right Stuff. That kept it leak free for quite a while,
but I noticed a small trickle recently. It might be time
to buy a new water pump housing. Anyway, the Right Stuff
did a pretty good job of sealing that up despite having a
VERY poor sealing surface to work with. It can be a bit
of a pain to clean up later, and its expensive, but it
is some tenacious stuff! (I have had good luck with it
in the past sealing up difficult to seal items.)
I would stick with the recommended torque on the bolts,
especially since its an aluminum manifold. Once those
holes start to strip, you'll have an even harder time
trying to get a seal.
Oh, one thing that might help is if you are using a
chrome thermostat housing, use a wire wheel or some
sandpaper to take the chrome off the mating surface. I
seem to recall hearing somewhere that chrome plated
thermostat housigns can be difficult to seal, although I
must admit, I'm not sure why. :-)
Something else that comes to mind - does anyone make
an aluminum thermostat housing? Since the intake is aluminum
and the thermostat housings are usually steel, there are
differing rates of expansion fighting each other which is
seldom conducive to a good seal. If anyone does make an
aluminum water neck, it sure wouldn't hurt to give it a try!
(I must admit though that I don't remember ever seeing one,
so finding one for this application might be tricky, unless
it crosses over to a Chevy part which might be close enough
to work.
Anyway, I don't know if any of that was any help, but
in either case, there it is! :-)
---Jon-
.---- Jon Steiger ------ jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com ------. | I'm the: AOPA, DoD, EAA, NMA, NRA, SPA, USUA. Rec & UL Pilot - SEL | | 70 Cuda, 90 Dak 'vert, 92 Ram 4x4, 96 Dak, 96 Intruder 1400, 96 FireFly | `------------------------------------------ http://www.jonsteiger.com ----'
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