For a 998 with the sandwich plate. (rear facing thermostat housing). Where do I source the bolts from?

_________________
1977 LEYLAND MINI SUNSHINE 'S'

ah,,, a bolt shop???

edit-->

_________________
No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

I know minisport in Adelaide have the normal length ones for the housings without the sandwich plate, but give Andrew a call / email, see if he has or can get the longer ones.

Jethro

LOL a bolt shop.


What size am I looking at here?

_________________
1977 LEYLAND MINI SUNSHINE 'S'

The bolts are 5/16" UNC, but Whitworth is so close, you'd never know. Length for them - from memory - is either 1 3/4" or 2". Wind them in by hand, without the washers first to be sure they are not bottoming out i the threads. I grease the entire bolt before fitting to ensure that they don't get stuck from corrosion.

Bunnings will have them, but they are only a soft grade bolt, so go easy.

_________________

My housing bolts are 2 1/2 inch long

Jethro

I could use high tensile bolts couldn't I?

Also can I cut my own gasket from cork paper or what's the go there? Do I need more than one gasket?

_________________
1977 LEYLAND MINI SUNSHINE 'S'

I use the studs out of an old gearbox housing and always use a bit of thread sealer or silastic where they screw into the head or coolant can leak up the stud and comes out around the nut. If they do leak, an O ring around the stud between the thermostat housing and flat washer fixes it. Valve stem O rings work great for this.

_________________
How can it be rusty when it's covered in so much oil?

I've used the soft tensile ones before in a bind, and they sheared so easy at my unthinking and ham fisted antics that it was totally not worth the effort once I extracted them from the head later that afternoon.

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

Do you put the sealer on the stud first then bolt the housing down? Or put the sealer in the threads on the head first?

I'd go high tensile then, Mick?

Also whats the go with gaskets? Can I cut out my own? Cork?

_________________
1977 LEYLAND MINI SUNSHINE 'S'

The sealer goes on the gasket if you use it. If water creeps up the thermostat bolts and out, its because the surface on the head or thermostat housing has corroded enough to allow fluid to creep under the gasket in the small area between the stud and the thermostat seat. A good sealer will help to seal these small imperfections in the metal tha the gasket is pressed to fill.

Go the hi tensile (grade 5) if you can get them off the rack at supercheap/bursons etc. imho. I don't like using the mild steel ones at all if I can help it. They're like a ticking time bomb for the absent minded I think.

You can cut your own gasket, you can buy a roll of gasket paper from an autoshop easy enough. If you're close to Point Cook I have half a dozen hi quality types here.

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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