Should Have Stayed in Bed Today

[Tom Wesenberg]

I spent 3 hours a couple nights ago making a water outlet to match my nice factory made inlet with an opening for a heater hose. I torqued everything to 55 two days ago. Today I removed the outlet to install my test plates to make sure the engine held pressure. Even though the aluminum outlet plate is 3/8" thick it flexed enough to mess up the end of the outlet gasket that's been on the engine for the past 20 or more years.

That gasket is metal center with a composition just like the dark grey exhaust manifold gaskets. It's the first one like it I've seen for a water outlet. Most are paper or the copper/asbestos gasket. Of course we all know what happens with the paper gasket. It gets wet and the ear breaks off.
No gasket really is the safest, but I've never broken an ear when using the copper gasket either.

Not seeing the outer end of the gasket squashed I used it again and of course snapped the ear off. I'll go with no gasket this time. I'll also just tap the outlet for a short 3/8" pipe, rather than welding on a female threaded cast part. The casting is thick enough for a good thread to be tapped.

[Joe K]

Um. Two hoses four clamps with a "tee" between them on the upper pipe?

Maybe not classy - but it works too.

Get some rest - everything will look better in the a.m.

Joe K

[Kurt in NJ]

The ear is brazed on my water outlet, I thought I should surface it flat----then the ear broke off thghtening it, probaqbly wouldn't have broke if I had left it alone, the braze repair has been good for near 30 years now

[Drive Shaft Dave]

That's a nice fabrication job you did on the outlet , to bad the ear broke.

[larrys40]

Dog gone it Tom... Even best laid plans go wrong . The good news is you are in good company there. It happens to all of us
Thanks for your contributions.
Was up your way last week in Thief river and Greenbush but didn't have free time, hopefully next time I can stop in.
Larry Shepard

[Tom Wesenberg]

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The only saving grace in this is the fact that this was my least favorite outlet because it never fit the head properly. If you look closely at the mounting hole in the second picture, you can see it is drilled off center, as is the other mounting hole. So, even though this is an original Ford part it set too far back on the head and left part of the front gasket exposed, and hung over the rear by almost 1/8". My 3 other outlets fit perfectly.

[Slantwindshield]

I never use a gasket here, file both flat and use a little gasket sealer. Never broke an ear off. Howard

[C26Pinelake]

Your bad day is a great day to many of us! Wayne

[Tanglfoot]

I am with slantwindsheild no gasket no problem.

The older you get the better you were

[Barry B./ Ma.]

I stopped using the paper gasket several years ago when I thought it was installed fine and started the engine to let it warm up. I was barely 10 feet away when I heard a "PING" and saw fluid running out of the broken ear, a fine coat of silicone on metal to metal ever since.

[Mitch//pa]

Tom it's a new day carry on. I never broke a neck with a copper gasket either and always use them

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

[QUOTE=Mitch//pa;1327094]Tom it's a new day carry on.
Chief always said, "I'm like an OLD GOOSE, whin I wake up, I have to be TOTALLY RE-TRAINED" Like, whut day is it??? & whur's my Dog??? & whur's my ANTI-PAIN PILLS & did the Dog make COFFEE, yet
bILL w. (dAD)

[Dick So. Cal.]

Why do you weld (braze?) a boss on the outlet? I just drilled and tapped a 1/2" pipe thread in the side of the outlet and installed the temp gauge directly.
Works perfectly. . .
Dick

[CarlG]

Of course I can't let this discussion pass by without showing my solution:
(no gasket, just a coat of silicone. + Outlet for heater and temp gauge.)

[burner31]

Tom:

If you're not breaking something every now and then...you ain't doing nothing.

[katy]

FWIW, they used to make an aftermarket heater hose connection that went through the side of the upper or lower rad hose and fastened on with 2 curved square washers and 2 nuts.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by katy

FWIW, they used to make an aftermarket heater hose connection that went through the side of the upper or lower rad hose and fastened on with 2 curved square washers and 2 nuts.

Yes, and I always liked that idea best, and I finally found one on ebay a couple years ago. Now..............where did I put it?

[JBill]

Tom, you're not going to need that heater today anyway!

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Yes, and I always liked that idea best, and I finally found one on ebay a couple years ago. Now..............where did I put it?

Tom, look in your KITCHEN junk drawer
SA Bill W.

[Cool Hand Lurker]

Or you could make it like this so the sensor won't interfere with the flow.....