Compatible T-stat Housings

[belize1334]

I'm putting in a new L2A intercooler and the water neck is proving to be an issue for clearance. I found this on Jegs.com which would point the water neck more forward and out of the way but I don't know if it would be compatible. I don't think I'd need the top temp sensor bung since I don't have AC anymore (iirc that tempt sensor is just for the AC system ... ?) so it's really a question of bolt pattern and clearance for the t-stat. Does anyone know if this or any other forward facing water neck is compatible?

 

[belize1334]

Has anybody tried the 2G water-neck? The can be had pretty inexpensively but the 2G thermostats are 0.2" larger in diameter so I don't know if it'll work.

 

[raptorWagon]

I know the 1g water neck sits at a more acute angle than ours' do, that may work. I know I had to measure and cut the hose to fit the water neck.

 

[belize1334]

I did notice that. The problem is that the pressure cap would then interfere. I'm actually thinking that an n/a galant might work though I'm not sure the angle is accute enough.

Does anyone have access to a 2G water neck and can measure the bolt patter and the inner diameter of the flange?

 

[fivestardsm]

As for the SOHC neck, they are different on the angle. I used one on mine to change the angle because of intercooler pipe clearance.

The 2g is different, and you cant use the bottom half on the 1g heads because of the bolt pattern on them is different.

 

[belize1334]

I was hoping to use just the top half and keep the OEM bottom half. I got word from a guy that I found on ebay who claims that the 2g top has too small of an interior volume and won't clear the 1G t-stat. I found a n/a galant neck which bolts up fine and after a bit of grinding and some JB-Weld I think it's gonna do the trick. I'll post pictures in a week or so when it's all sorted out.

 

[fivestardsm]

Ok, why are you grinding and j.b. welding? Please inform... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hsugh.gif

 

[belize1334]

The n/a water-neck has the a/c temp sensor pointing toward the passenger wheel well. There is a big molding there that is causing clearance issues so since I don't need the A/C temp sensor anymore I'm plugging that hole and grinding down the housing a bit for clearance.

 

[fivestardsm]

The first picture is of my setup with a SOHC 2.0 from a base galant. Im not sure if the 1.8 from a DSM is the same or not but I could find out.


This is a picture of a DOHC 2.0 neck that came on all the turbo and non turbo DSM's on the left, and on the right is the Galant 2.0 neck from both the turbo and n/a DOHC.



You can see in the pictures that the angle of the necks vary, the SOHC neck is about the same angle as the DSM's, but it angles down just a little bit also. This didn't cause me any issue tho. But, I think, I used the SOHC radiator hose which I had to cut to the right length.

As for filling the hole with J.B. weld, I would advise against it. Heat is pretty much the only thing that will release the bond of J.B. weld.

 

[belize1334]

I have to say that the housing you have pictured might even be better than the one I found but I got it for $5 at the junk-yard and I've already adapted it to fit so I'm gonna run with it. The point of the JB is not to FILL the hole but just to permanently seal the threads on the 3/8 npt plug that I got. If heat is an issue, however, I'll just use some liquid thread sealer. I'd go with teflon tape but the ground down angle of the bung causes the tape to strip off of the threads so that's a no go. I'll post pics to make it more clear but I don't have a camera right now and the cel-phone pics are just too mutch of a PITA for the lousy resolution.