Thermostat housing hole?

[Keith W]

I am putting together the top of my engine. I don't know that much about the 6.5 TD. When I pulled the thermostat housing/cover off, I noticed there was a cap on the end of a short stub of 2" pipe (this is the housing casting I'm talking about). This cap seems to be rubber (though hardened by age), and pressure fit on. There is a tear-shaped opening in mine, which I assumed (for some crazy reason) was some breather hole or something. Now, on reassembly, it seems like as soon as the thermostats opened, coolant would be spilling all over my engine (I had a water pump failure and cracked my heads, so things did get hot)

So the question is: should there be a hole at the end of the thermostat housing/cover (the part that's right over the fuel pump): there's a leg sticking off to the side that seems to be capped closed, except that mine has a hole (that looks sort of like it's been blown in it by heat and pressure). Do I understand all this correctly, and therefore do I need to replace the part (seems like it would be hard to just replace the cap, which I think is rubber or plastic).

Thanks for any help.

Keith

[john8662]

The only smallish hole that I can think of that's by itself is the air purge valve located on the crossover, it's on the outlet of the thermostat housing. This item is brass. The screw needs to be tightened after the air is purged, otherwise you'll have a leak.

A picture is worth 1k words otherwise!

J

[Keith W]

The only smallish hole that I can think of that's by itself is the air purge valve located on the crossover, it's on the outlet of the thermostat housing. This item is brass. The screw needs to be tightened after the air is purged, otherwise you'll have a leak.

A picture is worth 1k words otherwise!

J

Yes, I saw the air purge valve also. Which further strengthens my sense that there shouldn't be a hole in the end of the thermo housing. I don't know why the housing is built like it is, there must be some option or something that requires a hose coming off of the housing? Anyway, that hose connection is what is capped. I could take a photo, if you're interested. I'm pretty sure I've just got to get a new one.

[john8662]

sounds as though it's been modified. I'd appeciate an image to set this to rest.

Perhaps this is a repair of some sort from past days?

J

[MTTwister]

Would that be on the passenger side of the cross over itself ?

That could be the heater hose fitting. The original was some crummy push fit palstic thing, that I replaced with a 2-3" length of cast iron pipe, and heater hose connecting to the aluminium tubing coming fromward for the heater.