Thermostat Replacement

[Darren]

Hey there Guys,
I am swapping the standard thermostat with something slightly cooler.

After much playing around getting the U-Bend removed from the rear of the engine and getting the thermostat housing off I notice there is what appears to be a rubber ring which the thermostat sits on and holds it in place. See the attached picture for more information.

I have spoken to Holden Spare parts as I only got the gasket and thermostat but I appear to be missing this rubber ring and they say they can't see what I am talking about, only the gasket.

Any idea's? I am considering just using a bead of silicone around the top once I've cleaned the 2 faces and doing it like that.


Cheers
Darren

 

[Marks-VY]

It does not appear to be there for sealing purposes, as it does not extend to the mating surfaces. Does it come out easily?

I would consider giving it a clean and leaving it there rather than use any alternatives like silicone, which may come loose and create a blockage in the cooling system.

Why the cooler thermostat? Have you had any problems with overheating at all?

Cheers,
Mark.

 

[Darren]

The rubber itself was rock hard, the thermostat sat on top of the ring with a lip almost appearing as though it was to keep the thermostat in place. I had to cut around the top of the ring to get the thermostat out as it wouldn't budge one way or another.

After ringing a couple of other automotive suppliers I came to the conclusion there was no replacement. In the end, I simply cleaned the faces, popped the thermostat back in and placed a small bead some stuff I found in dad's shed which he had used previously on the ford to seal his thermostat. I ran it all the way up to operating temperature and no visible leaks so far so I'll keep an eye on it but everything should be right to go.

Why the change, I got all my little goodies from F.I.T which included the cooler thermostat, that was the only reason for the change.

The temperature other wise sits a smidge over quarter and have never seen it go any higher.

 

[Hairy Eater]

Gee mate, looks to me like the rubber seal from off the top of a screw on oil filter...

 

[SPack]

Could be there to act as barrier between the thermostat and the alloy housing to prevent dissimilar metal corrosion. Just a guess :unsure: