I am having difficultly getting the thermostat housing apart. The hoses and nuts are removed. I've sprayed the heck out of the area with Corrosion X, applied a little heat, and tapped my little heart out with a mallet but can't get the housing to give. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Terry Wagner

Submitted by cleavefamily@c… on Thu, 04/07/2005 - 18:18

Brian
Its good to know Kroil is still available, my Dad used it in the '50s and it was one of his prized possessions - when all else failed it was time for the Kroil. I will order some in the near future.
Thanks,
Stew Cleave
JOCO Chief Judge
'69 E-Type 2+2 and other LBC's

Submitted by bblackwell@jcna.com on Sun, 04/03/2005 - 21:07

Agree with Stew on the methods, but I usually try to break it loose in one direction first by hitting down on the end of the neck with hose off, using the butt of the wood handle on a 4 lb drill hammer I have. Anything with enough mass to get some momentum that is not metal on metal when it hits will usually break it free. Same weight hammer with a wood drift can keep the part from being damaged. I never have had to resort to the torch.

A better penetrating oil is Aero-Kroil from a company called Kano Laboratories. Have seen it in some catalogs, but you can buy a two can order from them direct. They are in Tennessee somewhere, and can be found on the Internet. We use it to remove allen head setscrews that go into compressor rotors in F15 engines that run in the neighborhood of 1000F and 13,000+ RPM. Aero Kroil has no chlorine compounds in it, and been tested per ASTM methods that ensure it does not have detrimental effects on aluminum and titanium alloys.

Brian Blackwell
San Antonio JC

Submitted by cleavefamily@c… on Thu, 03/31/2005 - 21:23

Terry,
Patience! Spray a little, tap a little, heat a little, and wait a day. Repeat several days, once a day, until it comes off. Once off, check for corrosion, the ussual suspects have this part available in reproduction. Once off, check the studs and use the same technique using doble nuts to remove, but be super careful, the steel reacts with the aluminum so if you do get themn off use anti-seize on the treads - retap the holes and run a die over the studs. Although, it may be best to leave the studs alone - its a judgement call.
Stew Cleave
JOCO Chief Judge
'69 E-Type 2+2 and other LBC's