Perkins leaking thermostat housings

[will_mck]

Hello, I've a mf 6265 with a reoccurring problem where the plastic thermostat housing leaks where it bolts onto the engine. This part fails every 1000 hours or so, gone through about 4 or 5 professional repairs and it's just happened again lately. I've heard you can get an upgraded metal/aluminium housing as this is a known failure with plastic housings. Would anyone know part numbers for these metal ones? Is it only Massey ferguson that supply them? I've heard the metal thermostat housing that comes in bag with a fancy MF sticker cost north of £550

 

[e3120]

Try Diperk.

 

[ACEngineering]

Hello, I've a mf 6265 with a reoccurring problem where the plastic thermostat housing leaks where it bolts onto the engine. This part fails every 1000 hours or so, gone through about 4 or 5 professional repairs and it's just happened again lately. I've heard you can get an upgraded metal/aluminium housing as this is a known failure with plastic housings. Would anyone know part numbers for these metal ones? Is it only Massey ferguson that supply them? I've heard the metal thermostat housing that comes in bag with a fancy MF sticker cost north of £550

Yes there is an aluminium bottom housing. It's not an upgrade it was what they used when engine was first in production 1999 and then switch to plastic.

Pastic is okay if fitted how I do it.

New housing.
Wire brush on drill and remove all rust from head.
New bolts
Clean and degrease
Smear loctite 5923 on head and plastic, leave to dry then assemble.

5923 is fantastic stuff but got to let it dry before assembly.

This will form a barrier to stop the water getting at the steel and causing rust, it is the rust that forms and causes them to leak.

I can check cost of aluminium one later if you want, I would still use loctite 5923 on the gasket for this too as gaskets also like to leak letting water up bolt holes so you shear the bolts when undoing next time.
Also sometimes they corrode through.

 

[will_mck]

Yes there is an aluminium bottom housing. It's not an upgrade it was what they used when engine was first in production 1999 and then switch to plastic.

Pastic is okay if fitted how I do it.

New housing.
Wire brush on drill and remove all rust from head.
New bolts
Clean and degrease
Smear loctite 5923 on head and plastic, leave to dry then assemble.

5923 is fantastic stuff but got to let it dry before assembly.

This will form a barrier to stop the water getting at the steel and causing rust, it is the rust that forms and causes them to leak.

I can check cost of aluminium one later if you want, I would still use loctite 5923 on the gasket for this too as gaskets also like to leak letting water up bolt holes so you shear the bolts when undoing next time.
Also sometimes they corrode through.

I gave this good advice from you to a good tractor mechanic the last time the housing was fixed and he repaired it accordingly. I thought that was the end of my troubles but apparently not, it lasted longest right enough. I think it's cos my tractor sits about alot during winter and there's alot of contraction and expansion when the parts heat up and cool down that makes them eventually leak. Now I've started using the tractor alot more lately again its begun to leak. Do the metal housings give less trouble? I know the mechanic cleaned everything properly before refitting and used the loctite 5923

As an aside the same plastic housing is fitted on my 6465 which is a 6 cylinder I I've yet to realise it's there which is strange.

 

[will_mck]

Your bit about the rust causing them to leak makes alot of sense too

 

[ACEngineering]

I gave this good advice from you to a good tractor mechanic the last time the housing was fixed and he repaired it accordingly. I thought that was the end of my troubles but apparently not, it lasted longest right enough. I think it's cos my tractor sits about alot during winter and there's alot of contraction and expansion when the parts heat up and cool down that makes them eventually leak. Now I've started using the tractor alot more lately again its begun to leak. Do the metal housings give less trouble? I know the mechanic cleaned everything properly before refitting and used the loctite 5923

As an aside the same plastic housing is fitted on my 6465 which is a 6 cylinder I I've yet to realise it's there which is strange.

I never have any problems normally when i do it my way, but cleaning rust off 100% and degreasing no matter how time consuming it the key along with giving 5923 time to dry. Rush the job and it will just leak.

all these plastic housings on perkins tend to give noticable leaks when cold, so the best time to find a leak is first thing in the morning before you run the machine. (subject to no damp/condensation hanging all over the machine etc)

 

[ACEngineering]

Your bit about the rust causing them to leak makes alot of sense too

The Alumminum bottom housing from manitou is £285.07 plus vat, you will need a paper gasket with it and i would fit new bolts too.

 

[shumungus]

If your having corrosion issues surely it would be a good idea to up the antifreeze %. We run everything here at minimum 50% and have little issues with corrosion or gunge build up.

 

[will_mck]

The Alumminum bottom housing from manitou is £285.07 plus vat, you will need a paper gasket with it and i would fit new bolts too.

Would you have a part number for that?

 

[will_mck]

If your having corrosion issues surely it would be a good idea to up the antifreeze %. We run everything here at minimum 50% and have little issues with corrosion or gunge build up.

Yes I do this, you're quite right