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?



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:

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?

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.

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:

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 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

Jeff wrote:

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
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 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.

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



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Tom Adkins wrote:

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.

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.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

On Mon, 21 May 2007 23:32:04 -0400, "Mortimer Schnerd, RN"
<mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com> wrote:

Trust me, KFC is
healthy food for Southerners.

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

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:

Tom Adkins wrote:
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.

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.



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!!

Jeff wrote:

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
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 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
Yea, but that's what makes it so darn Gooooddddd.......

Tim J. wrote:

On Mon, 21 May 2007 23:32:04 -0400, "Mortimer Schnerd, RN"
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com> wrote:

Trust me, KFC is
healthy food for Southerners.

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

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?

Tom Adkins wrote:

Jeff wrote:
Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
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 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
Yea, but that's what makes it so darn Gooooddddd.......

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