Technical Thermostat Change - Bolt head snapped! Help

[Rama78]

Went to flush the system out today and it went wrong right near the end!

Everything was going swimmingly. I ran the hose through and all the yukkie stuff came out til the water was clear. I had purchased a new thermostat to save the agro of having to clean up the new one.

The place where I bought the thermostat told me that it didnt come with a paper gasket and so they persuaded me to buy a liquid gasket.

I did as it said, put the stuff around the mating face of the thermostat and then bolted it to the engine block. I waited just over an hour for it to set and then I went to run a rad flush through the system to try and get rid of anymore grime.

I couldnt believe what happened next!? The water and rad flush started bubbling through the side of the thermostat where it fits against the engine block! It musnt have sealed properly :bang:

I turned the engine off and then tried to turn the bolt head (front one from bumper) to tighten it a bit more incase that was maybe the case. It turned a bit more and then the bolt head just snapped right off!

The bolt is now kind of way stuck a bit inside the hole of the thermostat and the rest of it in the hole where it goes on into the engine block! Even more water was coming out when I tried the engine on again!!! Nightmare! And yes, I know, its friday the 13th! lol

Anyway sorry for the big long story. Does anbody know away of getting the thermostat of now?

Any good tips!?

 

[richie.guy]

Drill it out, hope you have a steady hand though.

 

[dave]

take other bolt out. remove stat, use mole grips on the end of broken bolt an turn it out.

go buy proper gasket like some one said yesterday and also a new bolt

 

[marty61]

Get 2 new bolts incase the other one goes "ping" and don't overtighten them

Gasket paper :yum:

 

[Rama78]

Cheers everyone. Gonna try it this morning and get a paper gasket also. Although the guy in the shop says this thermostat doesnt have a paper gasket. I think hes talking cr@p though.

Ill try around and see if I can get one. No car for the weekend

Unless I can get this bloody bolt out!

Does the paper gasket simply just go against the face of the thermostat and then is bolted to the engine block? Do I have to wait a while til it sets or does it start to set with the heat when the car is started?

 

[dave]

its a nice gasket , comes with one side sticky so it don't keep falling out when you try an fit it, normally they come in the box with new stat. you must get rid of all the old gasket an crud, it has to be fitted to clean surfaces.
dont have to have to wait a while til it sets

 

[Rama78]

Aaaarrrghhh! I have to wait til Tuesday to get those parts!


Should I have waited a while when I first put the liquid gasket on before trying to bolt the thermostat to the engine block?

 

[dave]

no you shouldn't have used it at all

 

[Punto_2008]

It was recommended to me to use liquid gasket when i had to take of the thermostat, but didnt have to in the end because dad got me a new thermostat with a paper gasket included for 6 quid. Is liquid gasket not fit for the job then?

 

[richie.guy]

Liquid gasket is fine for thermostats.

 

[dave]

Is liquid gasket not fit for the job then?

no its pants, RTV sealant may be ok but needs to be left for 24 hours to dry before you re fill system. and if you use too much it can seap inside where you dont want it and block things up, it also costs more than the 60p gasket

 

[Rama78]

I got the bolt out! I took the other bolt out like Dave said and the themostat just came away easy. The remainder of the bolt was stuck in the engine block but my dad was able to remove this just using a normal pair of pliers.

Anyway because I have to wait til Tuesday I had another go at it.

The liquid gasket stuff I am using is Hylomar Universal Blue as recommended to me from a motor factors shop.

So, I put it around the face of the thermostat and cleaned up the face of the engine head where it has to meet. This time I waited over an hour before bolting it to the engine block.

I then put in some rad flush and water and went for a drive to get it working around the system. The final clean out before putting in the coolant and antifreeze.

I gave the car a good run around the countryside and all was going well. Thermostat was working, didnt go higher than half way and when I slowed down from raking the car it fell down towards the quarter mark. Was only raking it to get the temp up a bit by the way.

I get home, lift the bonnet to check for leaks and :bang: there is stuff bubbling out of the join between the thermostat and the engine block as before. Very very little mind you and nowhere near the amount as before when it was practically pissing out! (pardon the french)

What the hell is going on? I have read this hylomar is good stuff and even used in formula one!

Is this maybe a process of it setting or something?

 

[dave]

Hylomar Universal Blue isnt even instant gasket, it wont never set.

 

[Mdeko]

The temp should stay at halfway aswell, it shouldnt drop below once it is up to temp. If i were you i would check the thermostat is the correct one and test it in a pan of water before you refit it with the proper gasket just to make sure its working, if it isnt get it swapped from whoever/whereever you bought it

 

[marty61]

Hylomar Universal Blue isnt even instant gasket, it wont never set.

:yeahthat: iirc you use it in conjunction with a gasket as a sealer.

 

[Rama78]

WTF!!! Why did that idiot sell me the wrong stuff!? It does say on it "Gasket and Jointing Compound" so I guess you peeps are right in that its not actually a Liquid Gasket as such. I feel like strangling that bloke in the shop now.

My old thermostat has never constantly sat at the half way mark. It has always fluctuated between the quarter and half way point and rarely goes above half way, even in traffic!

The new thermostat looks the same as the old one in every way. Im not gonna do anything with the car now until Tuesday when Fiat have those parts.

I had ordered 2 new bolts along with the gasket ut Im not gonna need them now as I got a bolt from a junk yard to replace the broken one.

Do you reckon I could have done any damage driving about in it? I only took it for a quick spin 15-20 mins tops. The amount of water escaping was really very minmal indeed.

What is the name of the liquid gaskets that I should have got?

 

[dave]

What is the name of the liquid gaskets that I should have got?

none realy, rtv sealant if you had to, but its not advised for this job

 

[Ffoxy]

I've used blue Hermetite on half a dozen cars and never had a problem. Cleanliness is vital, as is even torquing down, those bolts dont need to be megga tight, over tightening can warp the thermostat housing.

 

[driver33]

I've used blue Hermetite on half a dozen cars and never had a problem. Cleanliness is vital, as is even torquing down, those bolts dont need to be megga tight, over tightening can warp the thermostat housing.

Blue Hermetite is a good product but it is NOT suitable for use as a gasket replacement!

 

[Rama78]

Thermostat Paper Gasket

Hello all

Many of you will know from my last post that I had a bit of trouble when changing the thermostat in the process of flushing the system. The thermostat didnt seal properly after using Hylomar Universal Blue to try to do so.

Anyway I have now followed Daves advice and opted for the paper gasket. I ordered it from fiat and it should be in tomorrow morning for me to collect.

So after I remove the thermostat and clean up the mating face of it and the engine block do i simply attach the sticky end of the paper gasket to the thermostat and then bolt to the engine block?

Is it then ok to start the engine and bleed the system or do I have to wait a while til it sets to avoid anymore leaks?

Cheers again peeps for your help. Much appreciated