LT5 Thermostat Housings REPRO

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Well, it's time to begin the reproduction process.

Repro housings will be made from one piece billet and then pipes/tubes added. I will make the first one and then post detailed pics of the repro unit. At that time, I will take orders and payment up front. The cost will bearound $600 each. The machining alone is $450-$500 and the adding of the pipe work is also an additional cost.

The units wil not be cast as original but will will function as original.

Stay tuned
Brett

[mgbrv8]

Are the Thermostat Housings a weak point?

Dave

[Blue Flame Restorations]

I've never heard of them being a weak point. Others may have stories of their own. There just isn't a supply of them out there. I need a couple myself. I refuse to pay upwards of $900 for one, so I'll make them myself.

If there is anyone else who can make them cheaper, by all means let's do it. We have to take care of ourselves with hard to get parts.:cheers:

I've done the same thing with several other parts for 53-55 Corvettes.

[carter200]

If there is anyone else who can make them cheaper, by all means let's do it. We have to take care of ourselves with hard to get parts.:cheers:


I'm waiting to see what you got before offering my services...............

[mgbrv8]

If enough need it I can do some lost wax castings.

Dave

[scottfab]

Are the Thermostat Housings a weak point?

Dave

They are a weak point in that the bolts tend to seize up in the pot metal
over time. The last time I was into mine was in 99 and I was lucky to have gotten them out without breaking it. At that time I reassembled it with some anti-seize but who knows if it will work.:p I don't want to break it to find out

[tomtom72]

:o Okay, I'll chime in with what I have found to be a possible quick-sand spot with our housings.....mostly this is if you're in a hurry and take what looks to be a short cut.....:o

You wanna do your 2 yr cooling system flush & refill. The fastest way to get the coolant to drain is the lower hose or use the stat housing. It gets old fairly quick waiting to drain the system if you don't use the housing as the drain point. Yea, I'm always in a hurry.:o

Proper procedure is to first remove the bolts that hold the stat bracket to the frame rail, then remove the bolt that holds the bracket to the housing. At this point I usually loosen the lower hose clamp at he housing as it gives you more wiggle room as the other half of the housing is still attached over by the cross member that holds the rack (?). Then remove one of the two housing half bolts as it also holds the bracket to the housing & holds the housing halves together. So you now do your first drain using the housing and you leave the bracket & three bolts on the side till you have finished your fill & flush & drain regimen. You don't need the bracket to be attached to do the flushing two or three times. When you're done flushing and you want to refill the system with fresh stuff you simply put everything back. Assemble the stat into the housing and one bolt is going to carry the bracket; then do the bolt that just carries the bracket to the housing, then do the bolts to the frame, and lastly tighten the lower hose clamp and you're done.

Quick sand = You're in a hurry and you don't do the above with the bracket. When you try to get the bolts back in to put the housing halves back together you cross thread one of the bolts, or both. The reason is with the mounting bracket in place the bolt holes to hold the halves do not actually line up. It's okay as you only mess up the threads at the start of the holes, and they are not blind so you can tap them easily enough or go in from the back if need be. Even I haven't been able to break an ear off of the housing, luckily!!!

JMHO, one other benefit that comes from using the housing as a drain point to do the service is that the bolts never get a chance to get to corroded...:sign10:.....only I could come up with such backward logic! Oh, and I just put some motor oil on the threads with a paper towel, just enough to make the metal darker and that seems to keep them very clean.

:cheers:
Tom

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Tom, you're always a technical fountain of youth! :cheers:

[scottfab]

:o Okay, I'll chime in with what I have found to be a possible quick-sand spot with our housings.....mostly this is if you're in a hurry and take what looks to be a short cut.....:o

You wanna do your 2 yr cooling system flush & refill. The fastest way to get the coolant to drain is the lower hose or use the stat housing. It gets old fairly quick waiting to drain the system if you don't use the housing as the drain point. Yea, I'm always in a hurry.:o

Proper procedure is to first remove the bolts that hold the stat bracket to the frame rail, then remove the bolt that holds the bracket to the housing. At this point I usually loosen the lower hose clamp at he housing as it gives you more wiggle room as the other half of the housing is still attached over by the cross member that holds the rack (?). Then remove one of the two housing half bolts as it also holds the bracket to the housing & holds the housing halves together. So you now do your first drain using the housing and you leave the bracket & three bolts on the side till you have finished your fill & flush & drain regimen. You don't need the bracket to be attached to do the flushing two or three times. When you're done flushing and you want to refill the system with fresh stuff you simply put everything back. Assemble the stat into the housing and one bolt is going to carry the bracket; then do the bolt that just carries the bracket to the housing, then do the bolts to the frame, and lastly tighten the lower hose clamp and you're done.

Quick sand = You're in a hurry and you don't do the above with the bracket. When you try to get the bolts back in to put the housing halves back together you cross thread one of the bolts, or both. The reason is with the mounting bracket in place the bolt holes to hold the halves do not actually line up. It's okay as you only mess up the threads at the start of the holes, and they are not blind so you can tap them easily enough or go in from the back if need be. Even I haven't been able to break an ear off of the housing, luckily!!!

JMHO, one other benefit that comes from using the housing as a drain point to do the service is that the bolts never get a chance to get to corroded...:sign10:.....only I could come up with such backward logic! Oh, and I just put some motor oil on the threads with a paper towel, just enough to make the metal darker and that seems to keep them very clean.

:cheers:
Tom

WOW, the "faster" way seems much harder. I've only been in there to put in
a lower temp stat. But I do remember having to run a bolt in backward like that to clear out the corrosion. In automation there is something called "attended" and "unattended" run time. Meaning the time an operator has to be involved or not. I opt for the least involvment.
1. Open fill cap and then open drain ****
2. Use a few choice words then remember to put drain pan down
3. Open first can of beer and turn on the game
4. Open sixth can of beer and go shut the drain ****
5. Fill with tap water put cap on. Start engine
6. Open seventh can of beer return to game
7. Open eight can of beer run in shut engine off
8. Open night can thinking is beer but it's pop. Toss can open ninth beer
9. Run out and open her up to drain again.
10. Open 10th can making sure it's beer
11. Open last can go out and fill with Dexcool (yup 12yrs now) and
distilled water, button her up, start her up and go for a drive (NOT)
12. Let her cool down and burp the air out at the plenum.

[tomtom72]

Tom, you're always a technical fountain of youth! :cheers:

:mrgreen: Or as Howard Cosell once said on a Monday Night Football broadcast....."..the man is a veritable plethora of verbal diarrhea...."....:o


Scott, you really think I should have alcohol when I'm working on my Z? :icon_boun

[scottfab]

Scott, you really think I should have alcohol when I'm working on my Z? :icon_boun

Probably not the optimum combination. But the risk of putting the fluid in the wrong place or leaving the drain **** open seems manageable. I also wash it and dry it with beer or two. I don't recommend any of this for anyone else.
I wouldn't want to hear someone poured beer on the car and drank the wax :cheers:

[Paul in VA]

Any Pics?

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Any Pics?

It will be a couple of weeks before the first unit is done.

[Ltfive]

:happy1:

[Blue Flame Restorations]

FINALLY..........a new thermostat housing machined from billet aluminum will be a reality. The machinist has one of my units and will move forward after the Xmas Holiday. Cost for a single unit prototype will be around $600. I'll post a pic when it's done.

I am also speaking with a pattern maker for a quote on a pattern and core box, so the main unit can be cast from aluminum. This will reduce the final cost of a reproduction unit, although the initial pattern/core box investment may prohibit me from having them cast as original. We'll see.

The good thing is that if someone needs one for their ZR-1 OR if someone is installing an LT5 into another type of car (street rod, muscle car, etc.) there will be a new unit available now.

[tomtom72]

=D> :worship: :handshak:


You be Da Man Brett! Word!

:cheers:

[sammy]

i agree . what a grreat thing to do for our cars . :cheers:=D>

[56 ZR1]

Well, it's time to begin the reproduction process.

Repro housings will be made from one piece billet and then pipes/tubes added. I will make the first one and then post detailed pics of the repro unit. At that time, I will take orders and payment up front. The cost will bearound $600 each. The machining alone is $450-$500 and the adding of the pipe work is also an additional cost.

The units wil not be cast as original but will will function as original.

Stay tuned
Brett

Did you ever get these finished, I'm in need of a complete assembly?