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Spitfire Thermostat housing, help needed


Gnbickley

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Hi chaps,

Doug,  I flushed the cooling system with a hose  in September and got very little crap out would it be worth doing again do you think?

Angelfire, Out of interest why would you recommend changing that pipe? I'm trying to keep costs down but if it's likely to be a problem in the future I might as well do it now.

Pete, I have a horrible, horrible feeling that I must have cracked the housing when I was trying to get the bolts tight. It wasn't cracked when I fitted the new thermostat before Christmas when I started this thread. The other possibility is the really cold spell we had just before Christmas where the temp out here hit -8 but the antifreeze should have been able to cope with that. (ps thanks for the hint about seized bolts that's got me worried that i'm going to end up making things even worse!!! :( )

Too cold to do anything today so I've been looking through my Haynes manual and the diagrams posted on here trying to get myself psyched up to get it fixed tomorrow evening.

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Gary.

If you have the opportunity to replace the old mild steel pipe for a new stainless steel pipe with new olive and adaptor, then I would strongly recommend you do so - the whole lot costs about £25 or so, very cheap in the long run compared to potential trouble down the line.

Here are some photos of the PO's attempt to deal with a leaking pipe and the new stainless pipe kit I installed - the photos say it all and will make you think !!

Good luck.

Richard.

DSC00127.JPG

DSC00128.JPG

DSC00139.JPG

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Gary,

No, probably no need to flush the system again. As to the pipe, well, it's going to have to come off, so depends what damage you do to it! But I would replace it. My experience of plumbing is that once an olive is crushed it won't seal as good as before and impossible to get it off to replace it, as pipe will be distorted as well.

Impressive photos Richard! Wished I'd photo'd some of my disasters, the bent con rod, the bent half shaft and the "half" a piston. 

Doug

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So my 'new' housing has arrived but as it's second hand it's needed quite a bit of cleaning up. I've removed the remains of the old gaskets, taken out the old temperature sender and the hose adaptor and cleaned the whole housing up but one of the studs is well and truly stuck in the housing. I've tried WD40 and got no result, I've tried a hammer and cold chisel and got no result so my next plan is to put the stud in a bench vice and then turn the housing.  If that doesn't work then it's a case of trying to figure out how my dads old welder works and seeing if I can weld a nut onto the stud in the hope that the heat loosens it and the nut gives me something to get hold of.

On the plus side I've managed to fit the new speedo cable, fix the carpets back down fit the radio blanking plate and fit a bracket for the internal courtesy light so it's not all doom and gloom after all!

 

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Hello Gary.

You are wasting your time with WD40 as it is a water dispersant not a rust breaker - you need, ideally, Plus Gas which is second to none.

A generous soaking and wait for about twenty minutes, then move the stud back and forth gently. If no movement repeat the soaking and leave; it will give - just a matter of time and patience. If you have other jobs then that's good as you can let it soak and of course overnight is ideal if it really does not want to budge.

You can gently heat it with a gun, but not direct with a flame.

Most DIY / auto-factors sell Plus Gas (not expensive) and it is certainly worth having a can in your garage - as you are finding out !!!

Regards.

Richard. 

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Good idea, the weld-a-nut-to-it.  I think heat is the answer.      When you get a spanner on it, tighten it first!     Then turn it too and fro, and ease it out, like you would cut a thread with a die, in then out again, small increments.   If the bolt starts to squeal, STOP!  It might break off!      Go back a bit, add more heat, try the below.

Also, you could try popping it in the oven for a while, gas mark 2 will take it hotter than the engine would, but safely.    Aluminium has a thermal expansion coefficient about twice that of steel, so it could loosen.   Another dodge is the candle stub trick.  Heat the bolt in a flame until the stub melts in contact with it, and soaks into the threads.  let it cool and try again.

John

 

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Is the housing this one?: 

spitfire1500_plate_1c_09r.jpg

 

Part number 144297? - A refurb from Canley Classics is around £25 plus delivery? Ok, its not in stock, but something like 10days according to David Manners site.

Why are you messing about? 

I'm all for repairing etc what you have if reasonably practicable, but I'll replace with refurb or new all day long if that isn't possible. But bear in mind that my car is not ever going to be concourse or original - it is a different story, potentially, if yours is in that category. :)

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Mark, I think it is the challenge mind-set with classic vehicle owners; I've been there and also, like you, gone direct for new or refurb.

There is a certain sense of achievement and well being knowing you have not been outwitted by something that is purely elementary.

Regards.

Richard.

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Mark, Yep that's the correct housing, I got mine from Rimmer Bros and was a bit annoyed that it hadn't been cleaned up. in fact I don't think it had been touched since they got it from it's PO but now I've got it I'm determined to fix it I guess I'm just bloody minded!

Richard, Thanks for the tip on plus gas I'll get some of that next time I'm in town.

John, Thanks for the tip re the oven the missus goes back to work on Monday so I can use that trick if I still haven't gotten the stud loose.

Pete, Colin, Mark thanks for the info on stud extractors I never knew they existed so I think I'll be adding some to my tool box.

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1 hour ago, Gnbickley said:

Mark, Yep that's the correct housing, I got mine from Rimmer Bros and was a bit annoyed that it hadn't been cleaned up. in fact I don't think it had been touched since they got it from it's PO but now I've got it I'm determined to fix it I guess I'm just bloody minded!

Thanks a bit annoying - no,. I'll rephrase that - that is a lot annoying and a P' take to be honest.

I would probably be the same!

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Yes I wasn't best pleased!

Well I had a spare 5mins while I was collecting the Gazebo roof from the next door field :angry: and I thought I'd give that stud one last try with the mole grip as the WD40 had had time to soak in and low and behold it came out easy as pie! Two days I've been trying to get that bugger out! All done now though so I'm going to drain the cooling system tonight and hopefully get it sorted. fingers crossed

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Thats a good result in the end! I would recommend flushing the coolant before refilling with the right stuff! 

I found taking the top hose at the manifold off and holding the hose against the rubber pipe worked a treat. :)

Once it had flowed out of the tee piece and rad cap a bit and was clear, I deemed the pink stuff I'd put in before out had all come out and then put in the right stuff and topped with deionized water. I had bought a couple of wide necked funnels from ikea - the bigger one of the two was perfect and didn't spill a drop!

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Ok so after much swearing some blood and quite a few tears of frustration I've finally got the original water pump housing off :D

Now my plan is to put everything back together using a gasket compound to reinforce the new gaskets and leave it for 24hrs to cure before putting new coolant in.

My main question today is do I need to replace the water pump or will it last a while longer yet? I'm anxious to get the car running again as it's been off the road for a good 2 months now and it's driving me and my boys mad not being able to drive it. when the car was running there was no noise from the pump and it seemed to be working fine. 

 

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well thats a the 64000$ question  

if its spins quietly in you hands its a chance its half fair, you cant tell whats round the corner with these sort of components

so its take a chance a replacment is better than what you have, or clean up the crud from the impellor and fit it and see how it goes, if its quiet and no signs of leakage from the dripple hole , use  it

as for whos relacement i would go for somewhere like a First Line  producted  Unit

Pete

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On 1/27/2018 at 5:03 PM, Anglefire said:

Thanks a bit annoying - no,. I'll rephrase that - that is a lot annoying and a P' take to be honest.

I would probably be the same!

I remember getting three separate items over about a six month period from a well-known breaker (NOT Rimmers) and all three came out of the box and straight into the skip. I'd binned better, and I think to be honest the items I'd removed were in better condition than those supplied. 

I don't mind cleaning up parts which I desperately require and am relieved to source, but not everyone has parts washers and sandblasters and it can be a lot of effort to get the bits right for their car. Is it really such effort for someone to remove a part for a customer and then, before wrapping it, give it a quick clean or a rub with a wire brush?

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