Help! Thermastat Housing Bolts Removal

[ray1997]

:confused Having trouble removing housing bolts. Sprayed all day with blaster. They haven"t been out in 18 years, lots of red RTV. Allways had little leak around housing. Do not want to brake with too much force. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!

 

[TimAT]

Get out the propane torch and heat the intake around the bolts. Drain the coolant first- it'll carry the heat away faster than the torch will heat it.

The bolts are rusted in the intake (if it's a cast iron) or corroded (if it's aluminum).

Heat may not work- I've seen a few that had to be broken then drilled and tapped.

 

[mkapp7879]

I agree. In wet conditions, you say you have a leak, the steel bolt has a tendency to seize to the aluminum. In your case the thermostat housing.
You may have no choice but to snap the heads off the bolts and then try breaking the "weld" between the bolt and the housing by prying the housing up off the broken bolts.
Hopefully you'll have enough bolt left sticking up to get a vicegrips on it and unscrew it from the manifold.

 

[ray1997]

Thanks guys got one out. Second one where it was wet no go yet.

 

[6880 Mike]

Go slowly and don't lay on it much. It can break and that's not a good thing.