Thermostat Loose in Recess

[BBShark]

I was putting the thermostat housing on an intake and noticed something strange. The recess (in the intake) that the edge of the thermostat sits into is .075 deep. The edge of the thermostat is .050 thick so the thermostat is not really held in place. In fact, I can put the gasket and housing on and reach into the crossover port and move the thermostat up and down.

I measured the recess depth in another intake an that looks like .04 deep.

Apparently I'm not the only one who has notice this. Here is a link to a thread about it with no resolution, except for a vague reference to a thermostat that has a rubber gasket on the edge.

http://www.camaros.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-207398.html

 

[Fuelie74]

Does if fit snugly in the hole as far as the OD of the stat to the ID of the hole in the intake? Just wondering if you should have a rubber gasket that goes around the outside of the stat.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BBShark]

The recess OD is 2.160 and the thermostat OD is 2.120 so it freely rotates as well as moving up an down.

EDIT: The thermostat that is recommended is GM 10202456 No rubber seal on the edge, looks like a normal Chevy thermostat

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/nal-10202456/media/images

 

[TimAT]

Mine is the same. (BB) never thought anything about it. But I have one of those fancy high falutin' chromium plated genuine accessory thermostat housings with an o-ring the PO installed. It doesn't leak, so I'm kind of OK with it. A little bypass around the 'stat never hurt anyone.

 

[JeffP1167]

wrap a rubber band around it and that will take up the space so it fits tight

 

[BBShark]

Mine is the same. (BB) never thought anything about it. But I have one of those fancy high falutin' chromium plated genuine accessory thermostat housings with an o-ring the PO installed. It doesn't leak, so I'm kind of OK with it. A little bypass around the 'stat never hurt anyone.

Tim, I think your right. Probably the same effect as drilling a small hole in the thermostat. I guess I'll install it this way and call it good.

 

[clutchdust]

Just takes the O-ring. The Suburban I just rebuilt has the same thing. O-ring gasket is only like $2 at Autozone. I feel much more confident in an O-ring seal anyway. Simple fix to what amounts to a non-problem.