i have tried to get the thermostat to quit leaking water 2 times, we have use a gasket and RTV(BLUE) and it leaks.
i have let it sit for 24 hours after putting the RTV on there i put 1/8th of an inch bead on the surface on both parts so there is plenty of gasket maker material. What is the best route to go now. i have the weekend to fix it. no work until monday at 3:30 a.m., ...so what should i do?

 

Dang, are you sure its coming from the thermostat housing? How clean did you prep the surfaces? any gouges?

 

i cleaned them really well used a razor and a bit of brake cleaner on a rag didn't really see any gouges
gonna buy another gasket tomorrow and put it together and let it sit for a whole day then on sunday... we will see if that helps any
if not i dunno what too do besides take it too a garage

i dunno know if this is my problem
but, i put the sticky side on the water outlet housing
was i supposed to stick it too the intake manifold ? i put rtv on the intake manifold and then mated them together
barely boltingthe housing on and i let it sit for about 8 hours the went out and tightenedup the bolts.

any thing i should be doing to get it to seal better these are the gaskets that are like .99 at O'reilly auto parts
is there a better gasket that i should use ?

 

here's how i do it.

remove therm housing and therm and dip out enough of the coolant to get a dry gasket area.
clean gasket surfaces on both intake and thermostat housing. use sandpaper or scotch brite pad or steel wool as necessary. check for gouges or cracks. make sure its dry. make sure its not cracked.
some people like to drill a 1/8 in hole in the thermostat plate, as close to the center as possible. this helps with air purge. place thermostat in intake well, ****/sensor side down.
use a new gasket and put a light coat of rtv on both sides. i like the high heat stuff. light coat means a thin layer, just enough to be sticky. maybe 1/16 in thick max over all of the gasket. go around the bolt holes. the rtv will seal most gouges.
place the gasket on the intake. then place the therm housing in place. install the bolts and torque to spec.
allow an hour or so to dry.

 

If you put a little RTV on the housing and a little on the manifold and put the gasket on and tighten it immediately : it should seal. Immediately. Never heard of mating it and then waiting hours to tighten it. Sounds like when it hardens it has gaps in it.

 

letting it dry before tightening it down is the problem. that creates an uneven surface that is not sealing. just put a little on both sides and tighten it down.

 

ok, i will try these tips and let you know how it goes.