Ford New Holland 1215 thermostat replacement

[PetalumaJim]

Ford New Holland 1215. A 30 year old tractor. Thermostat is mounted inside the water pump. A gasket, the thermostat, a spring. The spring is compressed between the thermostat and a steel plate. Should I use a gasket sealer on the gasket or is the spring sufficient to hold the thermostat and gasket in place. The old gasket had bunched up and wasn’t sealing.
Thank you.

 

[MTGreen]

I don't think there's any downside to a very thin amount of sealer on both sides of your new gasket

 

[TractorTech]

Gasgacinch works well to hold gaskets, thermostats in place Gasgacinch - Gasket Sealer Products. Made in the USA

 

[Halftrack]

Replaced the thermostat on my tz18da. Yours looks like the same engine. Ordered and received the Stat and gasket. Drained antifreeze, removed radiator, removed fan and belt, removed 9+- bolts securing pump, carefully pried pump from spacer plate. That's as far as I needed to go for Stat. You may have to replace gasket behind the spacer plate. Remove old gasket(s), scrape and polish surfaces, apply thin bead of sealer to both surfaces (circle bolt holes) and assemble. I cleaned the old "locktite" off the bolts but did not use locktite on assembly. Drew bolts down evenly to tight, no torque wrench. Finished assembly and new antifreeze. No issues since. I'd replace the Stat while it's apart.

 

[PetalumaJim]

Thanks for your response. I should have mentioned that I bought a new water pump also. The new pump does not provide a full shoulder for the thermostat to seat on. Some coolant will leak by when thermostat is closed. Does it matter?

 

[Halftrack]

It does not matter because there is a designed bypass so that the pump circulates the water through the block for an even warmup.

 

[PetalumaJim]

That was the answer I was hoping for. Thank you.