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Thermostat leak

Gentlemens:

My inherited 1992 Taurus wagon with the 3.0 liter engine overheated last Friday while I was sitting at KFC waiting for my order. I got it home without causing any apparent damage as the car cooled down almost the second I got it moving again and the gauge never quite pegged even at its hottest. The upper radiator hose was no more than warm but on the bright side the oil dipstick didn't show any evidence of antifreeze.

I got a new thermostat and removed the housing to get at the old one. I scraped the old gasket off the side of the engine with a sharp piece of oak and polished it up (engine side only) with a scotchbrite pad. After I installed the new thermostat and gasket, I tightened things up and tried it. The upper radiator hose gets plenty hot now after a few minutes but there was a little squirt of sweet smelling fog blowing out the side of the thermostat housing where the gasket is supposed to seal it. I tightened things up as much as I dared. The fog is gone now but there is a definite hissing coming from that same area when I stop the car. I see a small stain on the driveway after it's been parked.

Coincidentally, I found the radiator fan was disconnected but that is corrected now and is apparently functioning correctly.

I have driven it several miles in stop and go traffic and the temp is completely normal now. Which leaves me with the leak. Was I supposed to squirt some sealant on the gasket before I placed it? I don't see how I can seal this up otherwise. Maybe I should have scotchbrited the housing too (it didn't seem like it needed it)?

Thoughts?

Reply to
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
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You were on the right track, you just stopped a little bit short. When new, those surfaces will seal with just a gasket. At this age, the scotchbrite treatment is a good idea on both surfaces and a smear of RTV sealer on both sides of the gasket will ensure a good seal. Look very close at the engine gasket surface. It's really easy to "polish up" a piece of the old gasket and make it hard to see.

Reply to
Tom Adkins

I would recommend against this. There is nothing you can eat there that is not high in saturated fat, except the ice, and that just melts away.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

WTH? I built this most excellent body one calorie at a time. Trust me, KFC is healthy food for Southerners. Everybody knows that.

Reply to
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

That's the information I was looking for, all joking aside about KFC. Do I need any special high temp RTV? If I'm going pull this apart again I want to get it right the next time. I have a talent for turning an hour's worth of work into a three day ordeal.

Reply to
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

Sure you're not confusing that with Waffle House?;-)

Reply to
Tim J.

When cooked properly its the finest fried chicken in the world.

Reply to
Ashton Crusher

You gotta problem with KFC.....?? Just any regular RTV sealant is fine.. I prefer the Black mid temp for general use such as cooling systems and most anything else. Blue or clear would be fine for your particular application, but of course, I prefer the black. Silver and Gold RTV are for very different and specific applications. They would work really well for your thermostat, but would be Waaaayy overkill for that application.

Make sure the sealing surfaces are clean, install the 'stat in the proper direction, shmear the gasket with clear, blue, or black RTV on both sides and bolt it together. That's it!!

Reply to
Tom Adkins

Yea, but that's what makes it so darn Gooooddddd.......

Reply to
Tom Adkins

Whoa Tim. KFC is for dinner, Waffle House is for any other time, especially Breakfast. Sonnys Barbeque is for special occasions, like sunrise, noon, sunset.... Get it right son! Pork fat = Meal, Greens= Appitizer, Fried anything=side dish. You're from the North, aintcha?

Reply to
Tom Adkins

I know.

But, if you get a Boston Market 1/4 dark meat (thigh and leg) with corn, it is like 21 g fat vs. about 50 g fat for KFC.

You can get good food with less fat.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

You can't beat a big bucket of KFC extra crispy with Boston Market's mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and cornbread!! We have both in a strip mall near us. MMMMMMmmmmm!!!!

Reply to
DJ

Wow, my arteries are closing up just thinking about it. ;)

Reply to
Tom Adkins

Well, why shouldn't they? Are you planning on living forever?

Reply to
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

At least I'm going out with a smile on my face and a full belly!

Reply to
DJ

Assuming that you don't have a stroke and spend the last 15 years of your life in a nursing home making your doo-doo into diapers because you can't move.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Hardly.

Reply to
Tim J.

Jeff wrote in news:atF4i.8813$qp5.5661 @trnddc03:

This reminds me of the guy who only exercise is going to the funerals of all his jogger friends. LOL

Reply to
woody

Jeff, promise me... If I ever hit the nursing home like that, shove a chicken grease IV in my arm and let me die happy.

Reply to
DJ

Morgan Spurlock must be amazed. McDonald's and Wendy's are both coming out with bigger burgers. If I heard correctly, Wendy's new burger combo has 1600 calories. Most Americans will be dying of diabetes so fast they won't have time to call for a grease injection. It would be redundant anyway. ;) I thought maybe the movie Super Size Me would slow them down a bit. Heh, dreamer.

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Reply to
F.H.

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