First the antifreeze removal. I’ll put the old stuff back in as it will do until I replace the engine.
This is a brand new $45 US flex pipe from the air cleaner to the cold air intake and one of the mounting tabs has pulled out!
Nasty looking thermostat housing and the hose clamp broke when taking it off. I’ll pull the housing before I try to get the hose off.
I have no idea what was used for a gasket, but even as it was, it wasn’t leaking.
Besides sticking the thermostat was a 160. Just too low for proper engine operation.
Scraped, cleaned and then flat filed the surface.
Cleaned up nicely in the bead blaster. New gasket and bolts chased with a die. New 195 thermostat as per the GM specs. I also chased the bolt holes with a tap. They appear to be blind holes which is good.
This is a nice little tool I picked up somewhere years ago. Really great for putting a steady squeeze on the tube so you can concentrate on laying a nice bead of sealant.
Kind of a large bead, but better than not enough.
I’m a real fan of using guide pins. They kept the gasket in place so it didn’t need to be twisted when fitting it on.
Bead on the housing and some Permatex airplane sealant to help keep the screws in place.
Time for supper – more later.