The thermostat housing bolts to the head. That gasket that you posted sits between the head an the thermostat housing. The thermostat sits in the housing and then the water neck bolts ontop of the thermostat housing. Mine was leaking from the Thermostat housing gasket area. The leak I have is not related to the thermostat itself or the water neck.

 

I might give it a try but I'll have to look around to see what I'll have to remove to get some play out of the water pipe.

 

I noticed a couple of 12mm bolts holding it in place but I did not remove them. I was concerned if there was too much play that the oring on the water pipe wouldn't seat properly against the thermo housing. I'm just more curious when you pull the gasket out if it got smashed upwards at the bottom when you were putting it in, that would explain your leak too. Mine was getting smashed up a little but like I said the rtv held it in place so I could bolt it down.

 

When I removed the housing for the 2nd time, my new thermostat housing gasket just tore everywhere and fell apart. I picked up some thermostat housing/water pump silicone today and my new gasket and o ring should be here Wednesday so I'll give it a go once again when they come in.

 

That's what I thought. Mine was about to start doing that and that's when I stopped and did the rtv thing. It's almost impossible to get that housing on without damaging the gasket. I used a pry bar and wiggled the pipe a little as I slid the housing down and onto it. Good luck on Wednesday.

 

actually, come to think of it..

im wondering if you over-tightened it…

because i did a search on the workshop manual… and it actually states that the bolts for the water neck should be 10NM.

which isn't that much when it comes to bolts… (i think spark plugs are rated at 25nm, to give you a picture)

im assuming that the rubber o-ring on the thermostat was not meant to be that tight as if it was the paper gasket type.

if this is the case, You might wanna check to make sure you haven't pinched the o-ring grommet too tight and warped it… if not… maybe try with a torque wrench this time and see how it goes.

 

Haha we aren't even talking about the thermostat oring although I do appreciate your gumption. There is an oring on top of the water pipe where the housing sits. No bolts there actually. It just pushes onto the bottom of the housing.

 

We are only concerned about the thermostat housing and the thermostat housing gasket. Not the water neck or the thermostat itself.

 

any pics?

NFI

 

This is the water pipe. http://www.streettunedmotorsports.co...water_pipe.htm

As you can see there's a small nipple on the pipe ( not the smaller ones as that's for the turbo and other stuff ). That's what the thermostat housing sits on. There's a small o ring on that nipple to seal the housing to the water pipe.

 

I put a little oil on that oring the second time I had a go at it and it slid on a lot easier btw. Forgot to mention that before.

 

Oil can damage many different types of rubber. I have found soapy water does the trick for o-rings / rubber stuff generally.

 

My parts came in today so I put it back together. New o ring and thermostat housing gasket with water pump sealant around the gasket on both sides and no leaks. One step closer to being able to drive my car.

 

What is this o ring that is being discussed in this thread?

Im trying to track down a coolant leak and feel that this may be my culprit.

Pics and thread here: https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...l#post11262001

 

A VERY helpful tool I've added to my collection is an air lift used for cooling systems.
If you cannot pull a vacuum into the system - there is a leak and it really helps chase it down rather than wasting coolant and making a mess.
I purchased the snap-on universal version and it's worth every single penny. (And im frugal about spending money with snap-on, mac, matco, etc).

Check it out! You'll need a decent size air compressor to keep up with the demand for about 30-45seconds.