Thermostat housing - what the ??
June 23rd, 2013, 11:59 AM
#1
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Location: Spokane Washington
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Thermostat housing - what the ??
I have a 70's something 350 swapped in my '67. The thermostat housing or "water neck" is nasty looking. I went looking for a replacement and see two types. One has a long, 3/4" turned down pipe (like mine) with a short section of straight hose. The other has a small, straight 3/4 pipe poking out to accept a longer curved hose. They have that baby in chrome. Where can you find the curved hose?
The small hose is bulging and looks like the only way to change it is pull the neck off and stuff it back on with a new hose section? Hate to reuse the corroded assembly when a fresh one could be painted and look better. Chrome would be even better but that curved hose seems elusive.
The small hose is bulging and looks like the only way to change it is pull the neck off and stuff it back on with a new hose section? Hate to reuse the corroded assembly when a fresh one could be painted and look better. Chrome would be even better but that curved hose seems elusive.
June 23rd, 2013, 12:23 PM
#3
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Location: Medford, Oregon
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I just checked RockAuto and when I tried the 1970 Cutlass w/350 engine it offered up several brands ranging from $3.86 to $5.37. These are the curved bypass hoses that would fit the thermostat housing with the straight piece. If you go to RockAuto.com select Oldsmobile, 1970, Cutlass, 5.7, Cooling System, and bypass hose.
I didn't remember which years used which, but when I tried 1973 it came up with the straight hose, 1970 showed curved. Yes, they show a picture of the part which is nice!
John
I didn't remember which years used which, but when I tried 1973 it came up with the straight hose, 1970 showed curved. Yes, they show a picture of the part which is nice!
John
June 23rd, 2013, 01:11 PM
#4
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Location: San Francisco Bay Area
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Beware of the chrome housings! I recently tried to replace my thermostat housing... just because it was already off the car (while I was resealing the intake manifold). The parts store only had the housing with turned down pipe for the straight bypass hose... or the type with the straight pipe (like I have now) in a Mr. Gasket chrome housing (like the one pictured). I thought "cool... chrome!" and was going to buy it until the parts guy, who I know & trust, told me the chrome housings are cheap Chinese junk (not the boat 
)... "they don't seal well & rot out fast" he said... "they're cheap for a reason". After comparing the weight of the two new housings and mine (a GM part), I had to agree... the chrome housing was much lighter. Since my old housing was not in bad shape at all... and my curved bypass hose was only about a year old, I just cleaned it up and reused it. Maybe there are some higher quality chrome housings available, but I wouldn't put that Mr. Gasket crap on my car!
Oh, and the curved bypass hose was in stock, I just didn't need a new one.
)... "they don't seal well & rot out fast" he said... "they're cheap for a reason". After comparing the weight of the two new housings and mine (a GM part), I had to agree... the chrome housing was much lighter. Since my old housing was not in bad shape at all... and my curved bypass hose was only about a year old, I just cleaned it up and reused it. Maybe there are some higher quality chrome housings available, but I wouldn't put that Mr. Gasket crap on my car!Oh, and the curved bypass hose was in stock, I just didn't need a new one.
June 23rd, 2013, 08:39 PM
#6
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Location: Dallas, Texas
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X2, I went with a buddy to Harry's Hot Rod in Grand Prairie, Texas a while back.
http://www.harryshotrod.com/
On the shelf he found some shiney chrome Olds thermostat housings for less than $10 bucks. He bought one and I thought, well I'll get one too. He put his on the car the very next day. I put mine in the garage and thought I'd mess with it if I need to change the thermostat or change the anti freeze in the future. Fast forward about a year, his shiney chrome do hickey is leaking green juice all over the garage floor and on his torker intake. He pulls it off and the amount of metal that was missing from the piece through electrolosis was amazing. It was as thin as tin foil in a couple of places. The car isn't driven much maybe 1000 miles a year and hadn't been started in 2 months. If it had it surely would have sprayed coolant everywhere as soon as the system pressurized. I sold mine on eBay for about $7 that weekend.
http://www.harryshotrod.com/
On the shelf he found some shiney chrome Olds thermostat housings for less than $10 bucks. He bought one and I thought, well I'll get one too. He put his on the car the very next day. I put mine in the garage and thought I'd mess with it if I need to change the thermostat or change the anti freeze in the future. Fast forward about a year, his shiney chrome do hickey is leaking green juice all over the garage floor and on his torker intake. He pulls it off and the amount of metal that was missing from the piece through electrolosis was amazing. It was as thin as tin foil in a couple of places. The car isn't driven much maybe 1000 miles a year and hadn't been started in 2 months. If it had it surely would have sprayed coolant everywhere as soon as the system pressurized. I sold mine on eBay for about $7 that weekend.
June 23rd, 2013, 08:56 PM
#7
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Location: Spokane Washington
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Thanks all.
Okay, chrome is off the list. I'll go with the other flavor. Glad to know, I hate re-do's. The local parts stores don't stock much for this era, I'll hit the Internet.
Interesting info. as I have #6 heads which look up as 1970. The bypass not having the "J" hose means the thing could be '71 or above? This engine still is a mystery year.
Hey Tex ^^ I'll avoid your Ebay sales.
Okay, chrome is off the list. I'll go with the other flavor. Glad to know, I hate re-do's. The local parts stores don't stock much for this era, I'll hit the Internet.
Interesting info. as I have #6 heads which look up as 1970. The bypass not having the "J" hose means the thing could be '71 or above? This engine still is a mystery year.
Hey Tex ^^ I'll avoid your Ebay sales.
June 20th, 2023, 05:33 PM
#8
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Location: Spokane, Washington
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It must be that time of year, I had just posted this question for my 78 Toro with the curved housing asking for the size since I could not find the actual hose, going to buy it in buld since I need to change the hoses on some of my cars anyway. Mine is also bulging. Great to find out about the chrome housings from Dorman, I was going to get one.
I have a 70's something 350 swapped in my '67. The thermostat housing or "water neck" is nasty looking. I went looking for a replacement and see two types. One has a long, 3/4" turned down pipe (like mine) with a short section of straight hose. The other has a small, straight 3/4 pipe poking out to accept a longer curved hose. They have that baby in chrome. Where can you find the curved hose?
The small hose is bulging and looks like the only way to change it is pull the neck off and stuff it back on with a new hose section? Hate to reuse the corroded assembly when a fresh one could be painted and look better. Chrome would be even better but that curved hose seems elusive.
The small hose is bulging and looks like the only way to change it is pull the neck off and stuff it back on with a new hose section? Hate to reuse the corroded assembly when a fresh one could be painted and look better. Chrome would be even better but that curved hose seems elusive.
June 21st, 2023, 05:52 AM
#9
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 47,451
It must be that time of year, I had just posted this question for my 78 Toro with the curved housing asking for the size since I could not find the actual hose, going to buy it in buld since I need to change the hoses on some of my cars anyway. Mine is also bulging. Great to find out about the chrome housings from Dorman, I was going to get one.
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