6.9 Thermostat Housing, revisited.

[TJ 450]

My 6.9's thermostat housing has a fracture around the flange area, horizontally, that extends into the main coolant passage. It was seeping and the bolts also backed out such that coolant was squirting out at the base.

A stopgap repair using epoxy putty has put the leak at bay until I purchase a new housing.

I have always had great difficulty with the flange bolts and hole alignment as well as the intake manifold hose. The intake manifold appears 3-4mm too low, when compared to the housing. Is this a common situation?

I used a long bolt as a stud to help with the location.

Down time was only a few hours and I was out and about in it today. Apologies for the poor photography. It's always a difficult part to capture holistically.



I used Loctite Red anaerobic sealant this time, just like on my chain tensioner flange that is finally bone dry after filing flat and replacing the gasket yet again.

Tim

 

[Styria]

Hi Tim, the lower flange part that bolts to the waterpump housing is always a'patience fit' - for some reason, the second hole always just seems a little off centre. I think the problem is with the connecting hose from the thermostat housing - I always loosen that when working in that area.

Removing the thermostat housing cover can also be a delicate job. I invariably lightly punch the flange part to try and turn it, rather than hitting the spout part. That's when you can run into trouble and break the housing. New ones, in this country anyway, are quite expensive. Regards Styria