Thermostat housing

[timber]

I am pretty disappointed the Patrol I bought is not the quality car the seller represented. That said, this thermostat housing is very corroded. I searched the forum for a solution and it seems my hope of finding another upper and lower housing is miniscule. Should I clean it up and take to a welder and have him try to fix it? I read elsewhere that the Ford falcon has the same type but the outlet is a little different. Anyone have luck with the Ford part? I guess I should take off the water pump too to check it out. I purged and flushed the engine and radiator; the stuff that came out did not look too bad fortunately. Would it be worthwhile to take the radiator to a radiator shop and have it cleaned professionally? I have to take the radiator out to take off the water pump, right?

This place is a pretty valuable resource since some of the posts go back 20+ years! Thanks, Tom

[Esteban]

Sorry to hear about the condition of the thermostat housing. Unless it has opin holes you probably can still use it.

To remove the water pump, just the upper shroud radiator cover needs to come out first.

[RiverPatrol]

Well, I've seen worse thermostat housings. And it's not impossible to find a replacement. That's not really uncommon since many Patrols probably weren't maintained with antifreeze in their younger years. You can pull the water pump but there's a good chance it's been replaced at some point already, unless it looks crusty. Same with the radiator. You should be able to look down the neck and see the condition of the core to determine wether or not to pull it.

Good that you're getting use out of the ancient archives of information here. We've come a long way.

734B2887-A3F0-4A04-86A8-BE44F716E891.jpeg

[timber]

Thanks Esteban and River. I'll keep you posted. Have either of you heard of using the Ford falcon housing. I am using the gasket templates that were posted a few years ago to cut out new gasket. Esteban did I read correctly elsewhere you only used gasket sealant but no gasket for these components? There was no gasket material when I disassembled; only sealant which I found a little odd. The truck was imported from Columbia within the past year. No thermostat either....

[Esteban]

...Esteban did I read correctly elsewhere you only used gasket sealant but no gasket for these components? There was no gasket material when I disassembled; only sealant which I found a little odd....

That is correct. Years ago I decided to use silicone gasket sealant for these components, including the water pump. I've had good results. Some purists here don't like it.

You should run a cooling system cleaner. The rear of the engine, where the drain petcock is located is specially prone to accumulate rust, to the point that you take the whole petcock and nothing will come out. In the past I've had to use a wire from a clothes hunger to work through the hole until all the crude comes out.

Typical of cars where cold weather is not an issue, people don't use antifreeze, as RiverPatrol pointed out as a reason for the rust. I used to have all sorts of cooling issues until I began using it. Not only protects to freezing, but heat transfer improves, raises the boiling point and with that you have less pressure inside, and specially stop rust from developing inside. I've been using Prestone 50/50 for over 18 years.

I will not be surprised that the cover from another thermostat will fit, but I'm not aware. Will be interesting if you're able to find it.

Edit: Was looking at this part: Dorman 902-1017. Looks like it might work. Fits a big number of engines according to Rockauto. The diameter of the outlet is 1-1/2" (original is 1-3/4"). Cost $7.31 and includes the gasket.

[timber]

Thanks again Esteban. I will check out that part and see what the guy at Auto Zone brings to the counter.

What brand sealant do you use? With pitted and rough surfaces, I would be a little weary of using just sealant, but I am willing to try. Cutting my own gaskets is a pain but the template someone made in an earlier thread is paying dividends.

I took the fan housing off and took the radiator out. It needs cleaning or a new core. Then I took the water pump off. See the picture. Lots of corrosion but the actual pump looks good, I think. No play and it is greased, plus I can see what looks like the shinney bearing race so I think it is not original. I did not see a grease fitting. I think I read in another thread that the earlier models (pre '74?) had a grease fitting.

Reference the picture, why is the the circular outlet (inlet?) on the front of the engine blocked by the plate that is between the water pump and the front of the engine? Doesn't seem logical....

Reference the picture of the lower thermostat housing, why is there a stud and a bolt instead of two bolts attaching the lower thermostat housing to the front of the engine? Not a big deal, but again it doesn't seem logical...

Reference the picture of the weighted valve at the bottom of the exhaust manifold, this contraption is to enable the engine to warm up quicker, right? Obviously, mine is broken; it moves freely without the spring. When I get the exhaust fixed where the manifold attaches to the exhaust pipe, should I try to fix this weighted spring valve thing? The few times I have driven the truck here in Georgia, it has been "cold blooded" even with temperatures in the 60"s and 70's. I think the exhaust should flow out unimpeded.

It has been frustrating to see the previous craftsmanship on my truck. Some bolt holes have no bolts (see the red arrows) and when the bolts are there, they have no washers. The engine sounds good and it has no rust.

Reference the carburetor picture, the circled item is the choke, right? It should be controlled with a cable from the driver dash, right? I like having a manual choke. There seems to be a lot of linkage from the pedal to the carb where play can develop. Is there a smarter (a cable?) way of linking to the carb?

Lastly, I want to give a little instead of taking. In that light, I got a contact from a company (Kellogg?) that was mentioned for water pump rebuild in an earlier threat. The water pump rebuild guy's name is Mark Alan with 2nd Generation Auto Parts in Washington State. Phone 458-233-3125.

Thanks again for the help. Tom

[Esteban]

What brand sealant do you use? With pitted and rough surfaces, I would be a little weary of using just sealant, but I am willing to try. Cutting my own gaskets is a pain but the template someone made in an earlier thread is paying dividends.

I use Permatex Ultra Gray silicone. If you are using the silicone it is an overkill to put the gasket also. It won’t hurt. The beauty of the silicone is that it will cover some of the imperfections of the matting surfaces.

…Then I took the water pump off. See the picture. Lots of corrosion but the actual pump looks good, I think. No play and it is greased, plus I can see what looks like the shinney bearing race so I think it is not original. I did not see a grease fitting. I think I read in another thread that the earlier models (pre '74?) had a grease fitting.

Reference the picture, why is the the circular outlet (inlet?) on the front of the engine blocked by the plate that is between the water pump and the front of the engine? Doesn't seem logical....

Around 74 I think, the water pumps changed the design a bit, with a sealed for life bearing. That’s the one you are looking. I think is a better design and last a lot longer, Specially the seal is better.

Regarding the outlet of the engine, not matching what you see on the pump, you’re not the first to be surprised by that, but it is like that. You’ll probably see a small hole (~1/4”) in the pump cover in that area. Not sure why they designed like that.

Reference the picture of the lower thermostat housing, why is there a stud and a bolt instead of two bolts attaching the lower thermostat housing to the front of the engine? Not a big deal, but again it doesn't seem logical...

Previous owner probably lost one of the studs and installed a bolt.

Reference the picture of the weighted valve at the bottom of the exhaust manifold, this contraption is to enable the engine to warm up quicker, right? Obviously, mine is broken; it moves freely without the spring. When I get the exhaust fixed where the manifold attaches to the exhaust pipe, should I try to fix this weighted spring valve thing? The few times I have driven the truck here in Georgia, it has been "cold blooded" even with temperatures in the 60"s and 70's. I think the exhaust should flow out unimpeded.

That spring is actually a bimetallic spring, that expands or contracts with temperature, allowing movement of the weighted valve. Unfortunately, it is unobtanium. In my case, it broke decades ago, and the hole for the axle of the valve enlarged a little, and small backfiring developed. I welded shut the hole, with the valve inside in the hot position. A pity but I had no choice.

Reference the carburetor picture, the circled item is the choke, right? It should be controlled with a cable from the driver dash, right? I like having a manual choke. There seems to be a lot of linkage from the pedal to the carb where play can develop. Is there a smarter (a cable?) way of linking to the carb?

The choke is indeed controlled by a wire from the panel. Regarding play of the linkage, the design is way better than having just a wire through a sleeve. The weakest link is the plastic rod part where a lot of play develops over time. I might have that plastic part. I used to own a 74 way back then. But if you’re considering a new carburetor, you’ll need to work this part of the linkage anyway.

Probably all of us can relate to your frustration regarding some workmanship done in the past, like missing washers, and others.

[RiverPatrol]

Looks like Esteban covered everything. Thanks for the contact for the water pump rebuilder.

[r1lark]

Lastly, I want to give a little instead of taking. In that light, I got a contact from a company (Kellogg?) that was mentioned for water pump rebuild in an earlier threat. The water pump rebuild guy's name is Mark Alan with 2nd Generation Auto Parts in Washington State. Phone 458-233-3125.
Tom

Interesting. Kellogg Automotive became RPM (Repair & Production Machining), but the RPM website says "We are no longer open for business to the public. For water pump parts contact ASE Industries http://www.aseindustries.com". The ASE website says they do rebuild water pumps, but Nissan is not mentioned on the site that I can find.

I believe Will ('desertrat' here on the forum) used to work for Kellogg, and might have been the guy that actually rebuilt the Patrol water pumps. Maybe he will see this post and update us on what has gone on.

The 2nd Generation Website doesn't have a whole lot on it, but they do have pictures of water pumps they have rebuilt. Here is one that looks like a Patrol water pump, but I don't have one handy to compare:

[timber]

Thanks Paul. Now I remember. I got led to the ASE website also and left a message. They called back and said they don't rebuild water pumps but only sell parts and pointed me to Alan Hart above. He is a buyer of their parts and rebuilds water pumps.