Focus Fanatics Forum banner

Thermostat housing leak

90K views 53 replies 26 participants last post by  amc49 
#1 ·
I sprung the famous thermostat housing leak. luckily I am the type to research instead of just post shit up.

So when my car started overheating, I did my normal checkout, found out my fluid was leaking, I ruled out BHG just because the signs weren't there. After researching, I found that the thermostat housing likes to go out, in my case due to an oil leak from shitty valve cover gaskets letting the hot oil drip on the cheap plastic housing.

Yesterday i ventured to my local auto parts store(s), and it appears, the only thing i can get for the thermostat housing is the water outlet and gaskets... which isn't leaking. I pick up the water outlet, all the gaskets i need, a new thermostat for shits and giggles (hell, im gonna have it open, might as well swap it with something new).

Now, am I going to need a new thermostat housing (the actual housing, not the water outlet), or should the gasket only fix my problem. I went to Auto Zone, Advance Auto and Car Quest, none had the actual housing, just that outlet. If i only replace the gasket, would i be safe? I'm still waiting for my valve cover gasket to come in, i do not want to jump into this project if i need something else, obviously if i do, once i loosen that first bolt my car is inoperable.
 
See less See more
#7 ·
puttin my new housing in tomorrow...haha, you said they have the water outlet at auto zones? and the thermo HOUSING gasket? not the thermostat gasket, my actual thermo gaskets fine the housing gasket was shredded tho. the housing was on fordparts.com for only 20 something
 
#12 ·
puttin my new housing in tomorrow...haha, you said they have the water outlet at auto zones? and the thermo HOUSING gasket? not the thermostat gasket, my actual thermo gaskets fine the housing gasket was shredded tho. the housing was on fordparts.com for only 20 something
I believe my question was, would i be fine by just replacing the thermostat housing gasket... im thinking i wont be. my new thermostat came with a new gasket, so obviously when i replace that the new gasket will be going in with it.

Ugh, thermostat housing is kind of a pain to replace (just that large back bolt), you'll be done around the time your fingers go numb.
I recently started a new hobby, making chainmaille, my hands and fingers are perma-numb... shouldnt be too hard.... cant be as hard as changing that god forbidden alternator

if your valve gaskets leaking that probably caused the thermostat housing to crack
thanks, i think i mentioned that part already.
 
#13 ·
I went to replace the thermostat housing gasket on my 2002 zx5 and went to pep bpys, autozone and advance auto, all listed same part number fp35606 and it is too big. Am going to try the dealer tomorrow. It was easy to get housing off to replace gasket, but when replacement didnt fit, i had to take off all the hoses, and will take housing with me to make sure the gasket fits.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I just got mine fixed see my post.The valve cover gasket leaked oil on it and made the o-ring swell up and it broke the housing.so make a point to replace the valve cover gasket too.because that what starts the whole problem.

I have the old housing i well try to post a pic of it come morning if i can.so you can see the damage.

For those do it yourselves there's a web site call focus hacks they show you how to replace the housing.
 
#18 ·
Thermostat Housing BS

I've owned my ZX3 since new and am on my third stat housing. I have been looking for years for an aftermarket housing made of something other than cheap unreliable plastic.

I have noticed HTP has a CNC machined housing...
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=193107

But its listed at around $250!
Geez! Isnt there anything out there thats a common sense aluminum or die cast housing thats more durable that doesnt require a second mortgage to buy it?

I feel like this little guy right now... [?|]
 
#20 ·
I've owned my ZX3 since new and am on my third stat housing. I have been looking for years for an aftermarket housing made of something other than cheap unreliable plastic.

I have noticed HTP has a CNC machined housing...
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=193107

But its listed at around $250!
Geez! Isnt there anything out there thats a common sense aluminum or die cast housing thats more durable that doesnt require a second mortgage to buy it?

I feel like this little guy right now... [?|]
3 failures even after changing a new Vc gasket?
 
#21 ·
Usually when the t-stat housing is leaking it is due to either the gasket between the housing and the head (as seen above) or on the bottom of the housing right in between of the 2 pipes.
Either way if you are going to have everything out you might as well do it all.
I got all parts from the dealer and it cost me around 80 bucks.
That was the housing.
The gasket
The outer piece
And all 3 torx head screws holding the two plastic pieces together.
If you are going to do it do it rite.
You don't want to have to pull it all out in 6 months because of a reused gasket or a loose old screw. Both have happened to me and I learned to not be cheap theast time and it works great now
Posted via FF Mobile
 
#22 ·
How About The Dorman Housing

I've been researching this now for about a month. I did find that there is a company that makes a replacement housing for the Focus.
Dorman makes a thermostat/water outlet housing kit, the part is #902-201. The problem for now is EVERYBODY is out of stock of them. Dorman is telling their dealer that they should have them by April 1st or by April 15th at the latest. The housing looks to be plastic, but it listed as an "OE Solutions" item.
I've found some places that list having them in stock, but when I call they have been in FACT out of stock!
I'm planning on hitting the market again the first of April.
I was hoping to find somebody here that had bought a Dorman housing so they could let me know how it compairs to the OEM crap housing, but so far NoBody??
Parts Nerd told me that they had sold 1,600 of them last year! I can't believe nobody on this forum has installed on eof them.

http://autopartsnerd.com/item.wws?sku=902-201&itempk=163546&mfr=DOR&weight=1

http://www.rockauto.com/dbphp/mfr,DORMAN
 
#24 ·
Maybe I'm reaching, but I was hoping that MAYBE the company changed the composition of plastic, OR maybe?? made some machine changes in the area where it seals, or how it seals? I guess I'm skeptical as well. But then again why would a company go to the trouble of designing that housing as an OE solution and making it with the same problems as the OEM?
MarkZX3
 
#26 ·
Well, I'm thinking about waiting it out for the Dorman housing. I'm not ready to put $260.00 into the HTP housing (Yet) and if I buy the Ford OEM housing I know I'm buying a piece of crap that's going to leak again in a short amount of time. I think the unknown this time is a better gamble, even if I dont like to gamble.
MarkZX3
 
#28 ·
Did you mean to say "you've NOT Personally seen the Dorman Housing"

I called and talked to a guy at Parts nerds and he told me that he contacted the Dorman company and ask about that housing, he informed me that Dorman would have the part out by "Probably" April 1st and NO later than April 15th, If he was telling me the truth??
MarkZX3
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top