Still need help water neck

[Don Hudd]

I have ceaned the neck and well greased it and intake appears clean, still will not go in and seat, what am I missing?

[padgett]

Did you clean the inside of the manifold where the O-ring slides ? Is really more imortant than the neck.

[Don Hudd]

thanks Padget, I tried, how do you clean it? Must be the problem, have worked on it for over an hour, a buddy wants to take all the stuff above off to get a better look but told him I don't think that is nessasary, that we must be missing something here

[Ronnie]

thanks Padget, I tried, how do you clean it? Must be the problem, have worked on it for over an hour, a buddy wants to take all the stuff above off to get a better look but told him I don't think that is nessasary, that we must be missing something here

Need to narrow down the problem.

Does the water neck go in without the thermostat installed?

Does the waterneck go in without the o-ring installed?

[padgett]

I just use a mirror if in doubt. Do apply lubricant to the O-ring.

[Don Hudd]

Ronnie, yes it goes in without stat in and o-ring on,

[Don Hudd]

maybe I have the wrong o-ring it is a fel-pro 35608 not for the neck but the one inside, looks thicker and smaller, is this this correct one?

[Don Hudd]

sorry it is a fel-pro 35126, the 35608 is for the neck

[Ronnie]

Don, some of the thermostat seals go around the periphery of the thermostat flange and some go under it. It is possible there is a problem with the thermostat you have, and the way the seal needs to be installed preventing the neck from going down all the way.

There was a lot of discussion about this several years ago. Read the following thread and it will explain what I mean and may explain the problem you are having: http://forums.aaca.org/f116/thermostat-gasket-239793.html

Thermostat with seal installed about the periphery of the flange:

The other design:

[Don Hudd]

yes Ronnie, I brought the stat old and new ones with the neck into the house, it is the wrong stat or o ring, old one fits with either ring new one( aduralast 15849) is bigger around the pointy part and ring is too small to go around it, will get a different stat tomorrow and see. Should I get 195 or 180 degree? I have the 195 but see some comments on both. I am in Michigan and it gets cold!!

[padgett]

Think the one that goes around the thermostat is for the "L" engine. The "C" uses the O-ring in the channel around the outside of the waterneck and the other one goes into the mouth of the water neck (with a flange against the thermostat).

Need a 44mm thermostat (mine have 44mm stamped on the ring).

[Ronnie]

Normally I would recommend the 180 but I have not experienced the cold weather like you have in MI on a daily basis. I have a 160 in my Reatta but I rarely drive it in cold weather. I also have my radiator fans setup to come on at a lower temperature than the factory settings. I prefer a cool running engine.

Regardless of which one you choose keep in mind that the thermostat only controls how low the engine temperature will be in cold weather, not how hot it will get in the Summer.

[2seater]

Is it possible you are concerned about the water neck not inserting fully so the flange for the bolt sits all the way down? As long as the o-ring is inside the manifold itself, it should not leak. The rubber ring that sits on top of the thermostat is generally thick enough that the neck won't go all the way down, especially a new, unsquashed one. I've never had a problem with a leak, even though the neck sits a little crooked. It does look funky and usually you will find the old lower ring over the t'stat is squashed at an angle.

[Ronnie]

Think the one that goes around the thermostat is for the "L" engine. The "C" uses the O-ring in the channel around the outside of the waterneck and the other one goes into the mouth of the water neck (with a flange against the thermostat).

Need a 44mm thermostat (mine have 44mm stamped on the ring).

I don't know why, but my 88 had the seal with a U shape on the inside of it that was made to fit around the flange of the thermostat. That is what I put back in it. AutoPartsWarehouse.com shows a ACDelco Part Number: AC131115 for the 88 Reatta with the outside seal. RockAuto.com also has it.

The photo below shows the new Superstat I used with the seal installed on the left and the old one without the seal on the right.