I am in need of an angled Flathead thermostat housing, anyone ever seen one?

My 8ba with an Edelbrock intake and Offenhauser heads, has an issue. The left side thermostat housing runs directly into the oil fill tube.

Cutting the oil fill tube shorter will only make it worse, as the cap would then be positioned over the neck instead of the tube.



any ideas??

 

They make angled ones. Popular venders sell them

 

Rotate the existing neck 180 degrees and cut a hose to fit?

 

that would have them point down

 

cut it, clock it to the position you need, weld it or just make one! When I can't make something like this work, I usually make my own part. Don't sell yourself short you can do it.

Vern

 

I was thinking that, but that's a lot of work for a $20 part.

 

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Offenhauser-1949-53-Flathead-Straight-Water-Neck,801.html

 

I've seen the straight ones, those are for when you lay the generator over on one side, right.
The hoses will get all kittywhompas

 

You're probably aware, but the problem is your oil fill tube is actually shorter than a stocker. I don't care for that look either, I pull the tube out completely and modify the cap to fit the intake. It requires filling with a funnel, but looks neet and kleen!

 

I made these by cutting off the necks and welding on 90 degree bends bought at a steel supply place. I think they were for hand rails. Then welded a bead around the end so the hose wouldn't slip off once clamped on.

 

Maybe the first shot didn't show it well. It's not the length of the tube, it's the tube itself that is in the way.

 

From the first shot it appeared that the cap was in the way... now it appears you're totally fucked. Are you sure there's not enough room for the hose to clear? If no, Kev's solution looks pretty neato.

 

Can you bend the oil fill tube? Or maybe the Ford tractor oil fill tube would work. I know they will fit v8-60 blocks, but don't know about the later big flatties. See http://www.ebay.com/itm/1942-Ford-2...=BI_Heavy_Equipment_Parts&hash=item4d0c1c4a98. Of course, you will lose your nice chromed fill tube.

 

I had an interference similar to what you have when putting an A/C comp and alternator on a Merc flathead. I got some black pipe the correct diameter, cut off the old hose nipples and used cast iron specific welding rod to wled on new nipples at the angle I needed.

I preheated the thermostat housings nefore welding and put them in a bucket of sand immediately upon finishing the welds. Worked fine for me.

I also think you could build or modify the fill tube/breather to clear the hose.

Ray

 

Yep...

 

These are aluminum.

 

Have you thought about bending the filler tube to clear the thermostat?

 

Cut, angle, and reweld the filler tube. That's what's in the way.
Ralph

 

I of course thought of bending the filler tube.

I also think I can't be the only one in all of HAMBdom that has had this problem before.

 

how about making a adapter to the Original Housing to point to
the Angle you want & Bolt the one you have to it
the only thing you will need is 2 Thermostat Gaskets
Just my 3.5 cents

 

I would put a 45 degree elbow in the lower part of the filler tube so it parallels the water outlet making them both vertical.