Hey there mini mates!
Just a quicky, took apart my thermostat housing and I need to know the following

1. Should there be a gasket between both parts of the thermostat housing? The bit that has the hose attached has one but the part that is connected to the engine mount bar hadn't.

2. What is the best way of getting a well stuck thermostat out of its housing?

Cheers guys and have a great new year.

Rob M

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Black is the new Black

All parts in contact with each other should have a gasket fitted. So for your setup there should be two.

The thermostat will come out with a bit of chiseling. It should only be sitting essentially on top of the head, so shouldn't sit there that hard. A good time to replace it in any case if it fights that hard you damage it. Available at auto shops as a generic part.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Cheers mick.

Haynes manual doesn't show a further part of the thermostat housing, the part that connects to the mounting bar.

Rob M

_________________
Black is the new Black

Not all minis had that, it came in with the clubman with the change to rod change gearboxes to reduce engine twisting under load.
Not all drawings were updated, and so not all drawings will have it.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I would not be applying a chisel to the thermostat housing... in case you damage an edge. A light sideways tap at the top of the 'stat with a light hammer should do the trick. As mentioned previously, its just sitting on top of the head (well,there is a very shallow locating groove).

If a new gasket is not immediately available a thin smear of gasket goo will work.

Cheers, Ian

Well I didn't actually mean to use an actual chisel... But ok..fair cop

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

a thin screwdriver under the pointy bit at the top and a bit of a flick usually gets it for me

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Cheers guys it came out with a little persuasion. I have ordered 2 new gaskets and will refit both when I reassemble. There was defo only 1 gasket on the whole assembly though. How cathartic is working on a mini ? Time just flies? Laters all

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Black is the new Black

You can speed up these little jobs by buying a roll of gasket paper from Supercheap. You can put a coat of grease on the thermostat housing and stamp it onto the gasket paper. Then you cut it out with a pair of scissors.

Or you can get the gasket paper, and print directly onto the paper using your printer. Use the templates in here: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=82577

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Why not? I used a chisel tonight! I just didn't use a hammer at the same time.

A chisel or scraper can be handy to get off the (inevitable, and generally very useful) silicon that's bound to be assisting (or, often, replacing) the gasket. Just don't use a hammer.

Nice addition to the 'How To' section, too.