[Pepi]

So here is a picture of the intake after I sanded all of the corrosion out of it.

[dataway]

Looks great.

[Pepi]

Originally Posted by dataway

Looks great.

Thanks, but when I put the housing on it, I get a .013 gap between the bolt holes on both sides, so something isn't true. Also the thermostat doesn't sit in the lip anymore.

[grivera]

That's what rtv is for...

[Pepi]

I've got another intake on its' way that is dated the next day than what mine is. I will see how that one fits. With this one now, I wouldn't trust it with the thermostat sitting up out of the lip.

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Originally Posted by Pepi

Thanks, but when I put the housing on it, I get a .013 gap between the bolt holes on both sides, so something isn't true. Also the thermostat doesn't sit in the lip anymore.

I would block sand that thing back flat and use a cone shaped bit in a dremel to cut the recess back in.

Wish you was closer, I like fixing stuff like that.

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by "QUICK-SILVER"

I would block sand that thing back flat and use a cone shaped bit in a dremel to cut the recess back in.

Wish you was closer, I like fixing stuff like that.

Good idea. One thing that might work even better than a cone would be one of those small Dremel grinding wheels, since the side of the wheel could lay it flat on that ledge and grind it down flatly all around the hole.

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Originally Posted by Grand73Am

Good idea. One thing that might work even better than a cone would be one of those small Dremel grinding wheels, since the side of the wheel could lay it flat on that ledge and grind it down flatly all around the hole.

Yes it would, The little cut off wheels would really get it done in a hurry.
I've got an inch thick piece of glass that's about 4" X 6". Using it with emery cloth would fix the OP's intake up in a snap.

And small world, I've got a brother down there in Lawrenceville

[Pepi]

So it has been a while, (too long) and time for an update. I picked up another intake and it took awhile to get it all cleaned up. I had to do the sandpaper on a sheet of glass, that cleaned up a majority of the pitting on the intake. I didn't go too low that I lost the groove for the thermostat to sit in and took a grinder and was able to grind in the seat for the thermostat to sit in. I then did more glass with sand paper and got almost 90-95% clean. I ground the seat in more too make sure the thermostat was siting down in the groove. I torqued down the housing without a gasket and had about a .003 gap on the backside of the assembly. I figured a gasket would take care of that, so installed housing with a teflon gasket from Tin Indian Performance and torqued the housing down. Installed the intake after painting and then noticed my ported vacuum switch was causing a vacuum leak at it's base, so was on the search for a replacement one before I could fill the coolant back up. Finally got one about 2 weeks ago and last weekend got it installed and filled the coolant. I pumped it up with my coolant pressure tester and the damn thing started loosing pressure. I found the cap for the back-flushing tee a little loose so I tightened that and pumped up some more and still a slow drop in pressure. Looking all over the intake to make sure it wasn't that and finally saw a little bead at the front and rear of the thermostat housing again and yes I made sure it wasn't the hose. I finally said enough was enough and bought a new housing from inline tube because I saw it on eBay and had the same P/N and the "3" on it as mine did, I am assuming the "3" is for '73. It came in Friday and I put the two housings together flange to flange and held it up to the light and could see light through it. So now which one is bad? I took the new one and held it against our kitchen window glass and it was solid, held my old one up and there was very slight rocking even though I sanded it on a sheet of sand paper adhered to a piece of glass, just must not have been able to hold it perfectly true. So I was pretty confident that was the cause of the leak, but still used the Permatex Ultra Black and coated both sides of the teflon gasket and installed housing finger tight for an hour, then came back and torqued it to 30 ft lbs in 3 stages. I know I didn't need to but it doesn't take that much more time, I did 15, 25 and then 30. I let it sit until tonight to give it 24 hours to fully cure, filled it with antifreeze and pumped it up. As I sit here typing, it has been an hour and it hasn't dropped.

The reproduction housing from inline tube I believe is what fixed it. I may have been able to get away with just the housing and no Permatex Ultra Black, but I didn't feel like taking a chance. The new housing looks just like the original except two right angles are very crisp sharp edges where the original is slightly rounded, easily fixed with a file.

Thanks for everyone's help and input and sorry or such a long post.
Karl

[Grand73Am]

Thanks for the update!

[rickschabener]

If that doesn't work: Use Permatex's The Right Stuff and finally be done with this. It will fill-in any pits or mis-matches and seal. I used it on my son's S10 thermostat housing that had a bad nick in one surface, and it has worked great. Use it instead of any other gasket, and I would always let it dry overnight before I added any fluid. Also, make sure you use it inside and outside the bolt holes.

[Richie Hoffman]

I stopped using gaskets just right stuff silicone let sit overnight no more leaks a lot o them looked like the coolant was seeping thru gasket

[glhs#116]

Just as an aside: I generally don't use any sealer just new quality gaskets. I often see with cooling system stuff that there is some weeping the first one or two heat cycles before the parts set up watertight. If you had the parts that flat it's possible it was still going to be OK.

[Pepi]

Good to know those points. We will see how it goes once I get it running and out for some drives.

[GOSFAST]

Originally Posted by Pepi

So here is a picture of the intake after I sanded all of the corrosion out of it.

We repair this area on the intakes all the time when doing our 100% stock-appearing builds.

Fairly easy if not totally destroyed. We've fixed ones worse than yours in the photo. (See below)

The gasket surface gets machined first then the thermostat register, all is like new when done.

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Here's a BBC we recently repaired, don't have the finished shot but it cleaned up nicely and not a sign of any leak.

[Blued and Painted]

Fingers crossed on the coolant leak repair.

If it returns, i would look for cracks from freezing

[Pepi]

Originally Posted by GOSFAST

We repair this area on the intakes all the time when doing our 100% stock-appearing builds.

Fairly easy if not totally destroyed. We've fixed ones worse than yours in the photo. (See below)

The gasket surface gets machined first then the thermostat register, all is like new when done.

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Here's a BBC we recently repaired, don't have the finished shot but it cleaned up nicely and not a sign of any leak.

I would be interested in having my original intake repaired. What do you do if it has been sanded down too much or so much corrosion that machining it down takes a lot off? What do you guys charge for a job like this? You can PM me the info if you want. Do you mate the housing with intake so yo know it is all true and leak free?

Thanks,
Karl

[GOSFAST]

Originally Posted by Pepi

I would be interested in having my original intake repaired. What do you do if it has been sanded down too much or so much corrosion that machining it down takes a lot off? What do you guys charge for a job like this? You can PM me the info if you want. Do you mate the housing with intake so yo know it is all true and leak free?

Thanks,
Karl

Hi Karl, if it can be repaired it runs somewhere between $100.00 and $200.00, depending on the setup time more than the machining. Most end up in the $150.00 range.

After establishing a "clean" flat area for the housing/gasket you then machine the register depth for the t'stat!

Some intakes lend themselves better to clamping than others.

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Here's another shot of a repair underway, it's about 1/2 way finished here. You can actually see how bad it really is, the "smooth" looking areas are machined!

[zeebo]

I use a dremel tool with a 1" wire wheel to clean the intake surface. then go over it with 80 grit--you don't want a smooth as glass surface. same with housing. then I use the fel pro blue gasket. just a little skin of sealer on the housing side and let it tack up before installing the bolts. oh yeah, and make sure the surfaces are 100% clean. use lacquer thinner or similar. cannot have any coolant contaminating the gasket or it will leak. never an issue..alum or iron housing.

[64speed]

Use the 13 dollar neoprene reusable gasket from Mr. Gasket that they keep on the shelves at advance auto etc. I have been using one for years on just about every kind of engine besides Ford 😂 And have never lost a drop at the thermostat housing. It's metal with an orange neoprene core.