Well, I finally got the old housing off, using a combination of brute
force, pig ignorance and heat from a blow lamp. New one arrived and
fitted. OK so far ... until the same thing happened at the other end,
where the heater control valve sits on the head, at the back. The pipe
just fell off, that spigot having disintegrated, too. Oh, and having
disturbed the bottom radiator hose, that now leaks.

Hey ho. New parts in the post. Trouble with older cars - you disturb
something, and bits start failing.
--
Graeme

In article ,
Graeme wrote:

Well, I finally got the old housing off, using a combination of brute
force, pig ignorance and heat from a blow lamp. New one arrived and
fitted. OK so far ... until the same thing happened at the other end,
where the heater control valve sits on the head, at the back. The pipe
just fell off, that spigot having disintegrated, too. Oh, and having
disturbed the bottom radiator hose, that now leaks.

Hey ho. New parts in the post. Trouble with older cars - you disturb
something, and bits start failing.

Do wonder about previous maintenance, though. Generally the thermostat
will need replacing often enough to keep the housing free. And did it
always use a good quality anti-freeze to prevent internal corrosion?
Likely not since at one time anti-freeze caused corrosion. ;-)

--
*Fax is stronger than fiction *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Graeme wrote:

Hey ho. New parts in the post. Trouble with older cars - you disturb
something, and bits start failing.

Do wonder about previous maintenance, though. Generally the thermostat
will need replacing often enough to keep the housing free. And did it
always use a good quality anti-freeze to prevent internal corrosion?
Likely not since at one time anti-freeze caused corrosion. ;-)

Dave, I have owned the car since November 1996 and yes, it has always
received good quality anti freeze since then, although I don't know the
condition of the parts when I bought it. It has received general
maintenance and servicing since then, but no major overhauls. Only done
7k miles in the last 22 years, and was garaged and unused from 98 until
about ten years ago. Since then, just a few miles a year.
--
Graeme

In article ,
Graeme wrote:
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Graeme wrote:

Hey ho. New parts in the post. Trouble with older cars - you disturb
something, and bits start failing.

Do wonder about previous maintenance, though. Generally the thermostat
will need replacing often enough to keep the housing free. And did it
always use a good quality anti-freeze to prevent internal corrosion?
Likely not since at one time anti-freeze caused corrosion. ;-)

Dave, I have owned the car since November 1996 and yes, it has always
received good quality anti freeze since then, although I don't know the
condition of the parts when I bought it. It has received general
maintenance and servicing since then, but no major overhauls. Only done
7k miles in the last 22 years, and was garaged and unused from 98 until
about ten years ago. Since then, just a few miles a year.

Sounds lovely. ;-)

I do remember my days of A series engines, and many of the 'aluminium'
looking parts in the water jacket would have pretty severe signs of
corrosion. Like the internals of the water pump. Later anti-freeze (really
made for all ally engines) tended to be pretty good at preventing
corrosion on most materials in use. Until plastic came along with its own
problems. ;-)

--
*Why do psychics have to ask you for your name? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes

I do remember my days of A series engines, and many of the 'aluminium'
looking parts in the water jacket would have pretty severe signs of
corrosion. Like the internals of the water pump. Later anti-freeze (really
made for all ally engines) tended to be pretty good at preventing
corrosion on most materials in use. Until plastic came along with its own
problems. ;-)

Making progress. Got the bottom hose off, and yes, I can see the split.
Also got the heater valve off, and although the spigot (right word?) had
completely corroded away, the assembly itself just lifted off the block.
That, of course, was after I had undone the nuts, which was after
removing the battery to gain access ...

I'm not complaining, though. The car has cost me very little to run,
apart from the usual consumables. The coil exploded once, the fuel
gauge works sometimes and a few other little niggles that I'll sort one
day, other than that, all OK.
--
Graeme

On 12/04/2018 17:08, Graeme wrote:
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes

I do remember my days of A series engines, and many of the 'aluminium'
looking parts in the water jacket would have pretty severe signs of
corrosion. Like the internals of the water pump. Later anti-freeze
(really
made for all ally engines) tended to be pretty good at preventing
corrosion on most materials in use. Until plastic came along with its own
problems. ;-)

Making progress. Got the bottom hose off, and yes, I can see the split.
Also got the heater valve off, and although the spigot (right word?) had
completely corroded away, the assembly itself just lifted off the block.
That, of course, was after I had undone the nuts, which was after
removing the battery to gain access ...

I'm not complaining, though. The car has cost me very little to run,
apart from the usual consumables. The coil exploded once, the fuel gauge
works sometimes and a few other little niggles that I'll sort one day,
other than that, all OK.

While you're at it, check the by-pass hose. This is a short small
diameter vertical hose from just under the thermostat housing down to
the top of the water pump. These have a habit of failing at very
inconvenient times and places - as I know to my cost. They're a right
sod to fit 'cos they go between two metal pipes with only a short gap
between them to wangle the hose in. ISTR that the original hoses were
rigid, and could *only* be fitted with either the head or the water pump
removed, but you could buy concertina type replacements which could
*just* be fitted without any dismantling, but were still hellish fiddly.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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On 12/04/18 13:57, Graeme wrote:

Well, I finally got the old housing off, using a combination of brute
force, pig ignorance and heat from a blow lamp.Â* New one arrived and
fitted.Â* OK so far ... until the same thing happened at the other end,
where the heater control valve sits on the head, at the back.Â* The pipe
just fell off, that spigot having disintegrated, too.Â* Oh, and having
disturbed the bottom radiator hose, that now leaks.

Hey ho.Â* New parts in the post.Â* Trouble with older cars - you disturb
something, and bits start failing.
They were like that when relatively new. Our maxim became 'When in doubt
hoick it out'

And strip it on the bench and replace ALL the dodgy bits


--
You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a
kind word alone.

Al Capone