Failed thermostat housing Cap? Don't toss it, Rebuild it (Page 1/1)
jelly2m8 APR 20, 01:10 AM
So my 36-ish year old Thermostat housing cap finally gave up the ghost, the dozen other ones I had laying around were just as bad. With a new one a week out and wanting to drive the old rig, what's a guy to do?
Well I keep a used industrial truck / tractor tube around.....


Take a knife, screwdriver etc. and break that old hard cracked gasket out of the housing, Take your old inner tube and cut a chunk out, lay it flat, place the bits of the old hard broken original seal together best you can, trace it out, start cutting it out, I was in a hurry, I used scissors. After cutting it out, trimming, work it in place and viola!

I been driving on this all week, no problem.

Before


After




this one isn't perfect, but it works, this is something that only needs to be ' close enough' took me 10 minutes including digging that tube out and looking for scissors. I will do another and show how simple this is, will spec the thickness of the original seal and the tube, I will add that

* yes I know, it's not the same cap off of my car, I had a bunch of them at hand, just grabbed the first one within reach*

[This message has been edited by jelly2m8 (edited 04-20-2024).]

theogre APR 22, 09:58 PM
Doesn't need the rubber to fill the cap. May make it hard to install like Motorad caps in https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/146523.html Stant is Gone

Also the Rivet & seal should rotate separate from the cap cover. If not, the seal can fail or have other problems.
Is related to https://www.fiero.nl/forum/...HTML/145846.html#p24

IOW The Seal parts stays put but the top moves to tighten or release the part.
Nearly all Stant parts uses same setup for decades whether or not "box" shows SWIV-EL® logo. Some parts copied same idea now.

New Stant & other T-stat caps have this but the rivet gets some rust then won't move. Now I put bit of silicone on new caps there.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

jelly2m8 APR 23, 03:39 AM
Nobody has said that's not how it works, What I want to show is that the seal can be fashioned and replaced. I did say this was a rush job to get on the road and that when I have time I will show better pics of how to fashion a new seal and restore the cap.

The seal has absolute zero contact with the rivet, although the rivet will turn, it's purpose to to maintain upper and lower disc spacing. It's the Upper disc that provides the action to allow it all to stay stationary as the cap turns.

[This message has been edited by jelly2m8 (edited 04-23-2024).]

theogre APR 23, 09:15 AM
Is a good plan but:
Often people don't follow up w/ better pic's etc or takes weeks to months.
Often Missing some data when follow up. Example: Say you started w/ store brand or Motorad... Or defective Stant cap... & never covered Stant Rivet because you simple didn't know it's supposed to pivot there like Cliff & others in that & other pages.
I & others that know how X part fit & work no longer view PFF every day for many reasons & may never see this thread to add the missing data.

All real Stant T-stat caps are SWIV-EL® type but not all sold are.
Even if Motorad T-stat cap lets it pivot, often won't fit well or at all cover in other page. Now that they bought out Stant Aftermarket... buying new "stant" numbers have many Motorad parts in the "box" & may not fit Fiero T-stat. (I bought several spares & not buying new parts just to find out. Most stores don't have them @ the stores to look at them now.)

So replacing the seal on an old Stant T-stat cover/cap maybe better then buying new.
But Even before making a new seal, Check the Rivet for any Stant so if doesn't pivot then hopefully fix that too so seal way easier.
If needed can Safely use pb blaster etc to get it loose & clean the oil off before you install the new seal so seal won't get oil poisoning like brake rubber parts hate getting oil/grease on them.

Example: 4 cyl engine T-stat is close to left vent that can get "water" on them in bad weather then that rust the rivet & likely metal parts/areas under the cap to "weld" them & won't move & why many use any type of strap wrench to get them off. Even when I use Permatex Brake Grease to lube the T-stat tube is hard to get the cap off/on when swiveling rivet is jammed.