Uh oh..stripped thermostat housing threads and now a leak

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I replaced the thermostat on my 93 Crown Vic yesterday. I had a hard time getting the 2 bolts loose, either someone put them in wayyy too tight when it was last changed, or they corroded into place. When I finally got both bolts loose and hauled 'em out, I noticed what looked like grainy sand on the threads of one bolt. In goes the new t-stat, and I attempted to reattach the t-stat housing. Well, it appears I did something wrong, the bolts were going in way too tight so I got my brother to help me out. He took the bolts back out, and one of them had aluminum flakes on the threads! Not a good sign ya know. He tried to tighten the bolts back down as best he could, but he said it didn't feel like they were tightening properly, the threads inside the bottom part of the t-stat housing were probably stripped. He did get them tighened down, then I took the car out for a short drive to warm it up and check for leaks. My temp gauge still moves up and down and when I came back I didn't see any leaks. Today, I opened the hood, and the area around the t-stat housing is wet! Dang it to heck! What am I going to do to fix this? Would some gasket maker between the top and bottom part of the housing help any?
 
first things first. find a tap/die that match your bolt. cleanup the bolt (or get a new one). clean the threads in the bolt hole (perhaps the bolt is not getting deep enough).

if that fails, i guess i would try some thread repair like helicoil.
 
You're definately going to need a Helicoil insert kit. I have used these extensively. If you have any questions, just post them here.
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He may not be able to fit the larger bolt through the thermostat housing if there's not enough meat on the flange area. Since he has to drill and tap anyway (probably just tap), he can put in a helicoil with as little (or as much) hassle. He can then use standard sized bolts and have them match ..instead of tapping both holes to get them to match.

I'd try wrapping the bolt in teflon tape as a temp remedy until I could play with it. Uncharted waters take more time to navigate.
 
Do it right. Especially with these alloy castings . . . use a Helicoil to maintain the bolt and torque specs.

A dab of antiseize here is a real headache saver.
 
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