Mongo Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Okay, put in a new thermostat. bought the gasket from Autozone or checker (can't remember they are across the street from each other), anyway the gasket seemed awful thin. Bolted together, and it leaked from the housing. Tried to tighten up the housing and cracked it in half :fs1: Went to the yard and picked up another for a buck. Bought two gaskets, gooped and reinstalled. Dang thing still leaks. Anyone else had this issue? I've done this a couple of times on this truck and seem to remember the gasket being ALOT thicker. Should I just buy some bulk cork and make one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Every thermostat gasket I've ever bought was a sticker. You were supposed to peel the one side, stick it to the housing, then bolt it on with no RTV. This sounds like a bad idea, so I've always RTV'd both sides and never had a problem. Are you sure you got all the old gasket/RTV scraped off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Are you sure the thermostat didn't slip and you tightened it down with the flange under the thick part of the housing rather than it the recess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 Every thermostat gasket I've ever bought was a sticker. You were supposed to peel the one side, stick it to the housing, then bolt it on with no RTV. This sounds like a bad idea, so I've always RTV'd both sides and never had a problem. Are you sure you got all the old gasket/RTV scraped off? Yes, gasket scraped off and even sanded the surface slightly before running a thin bead of Blue RTV around that section of the block. I also used dental floss to ensure the gasket stayed aligned in the holes on the housing before mating it to the block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 Are you sure the thermostat didn't slip and you tightened it down with the flange under the thick part of the housing rather than it the recess? I had it installed in the recess, held it in place with a thin bead of sealant, but it is possible that it may have slipped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 when you say that you bought two gaskets the second go-round and installed it... you didn't use both gaskets on it at once did you? i have done thermostats on 4.0Ls both using paper-gaskets and no silicone, and using the gasket with silicone and seen no difference, no silicone is easier and less messy though. if you really can't get it to work, try doing it with the fan and radiator removed for a little breathing room... it comes out in about 30 minutes anyways... might be worth it to get it fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 On things like thermostat housing ot diff cover, I never saw the need to use a gasket if you're using RTV. Vice versa, there's no need to use RTV if you use a gasket. Never had a leak either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrawombat Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Every thermostat gasket I've ever bought was a sticker. You were supposed to peel the one side, stick it to the housing, then bolt it on with no RTV. This sounds like a bad idea, so I've always RTV'd both sides and never had a problem. Good thing you did - I put one of these "sticker" type gaskets on my '01 XJ when I rebuilt the cylinder head and didn't use RTV. Guess what? It leaks...but it's a very slow drip. I'm going to replace it next time I change the oil or do a major repair to the engine, whichever comes first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reson46 Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Are you sure the thermostat didn't slip and you tightened it down with the flange under the thick part of the housing rather than it the recess? :agree: It is very easy for the thermostat to fall out of its recess when attempting to put the housing back on. The housing then breaks easily because it isn't flush against the head. Did you remove the belt? If not it is almost impossible to get a straight shot with the thermostat, housing, and lower bolt forcing you to come at it from an angle and almost guaranteeing that you will knock the thermostat out of its recess. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigalpha Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 I replaced the t-stat, water pump and trans pan gaskets+RTV with only the FelPro gaskets. No leaks yet and that was about 8 months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comanche09 Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 I feel your pain... I bought a new housing installed the thin gasket, but only RTV'd one side. Leaked... Removed housing, new gasket, RTV both sides, NO LEAK.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 I will have to give it another shot. It only drips right now, but I have every other leak fixed, this one seems a little tougher to get stopped. I do always remove the belt when working on this housing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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