# Thermostat Housing Repair



## John Palmer (Mar 11, 2019)

Hey everyone I have run into quite a problem here. I have a 1972 Case 380ck (David Brown 885) where I recently replaced the water pump gasket and seal. While I was in there I decided to replace the thermostat as well. When re-installing the thermostat housing, aka Water Outlet as described on the parts diagram, the base snapped. Now it is made of cast iron and is 48 years old, so I wasn't too surprised that this occurred. Does anyone know whether or not this can be fixed? Can cast iron be welded? One might think the best route is to replace the part. I have searched high and low all the way to the UK to find this part and no one has it. Any and all help/advice is much appreciated.
Part #K947344


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## Hacke (Feb 22, 2011)

It can be welded, but I think brazing is better for this part. You need someone who knows the steps: Clean and prepare the surfaces with a die grinder, heat the parts before the operation and let it cool slowly after the operation.

The part will need some machining to restore the sealing surface and groove.


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## Blackelk (Mar 31, 2020)

I agree brazing is best. I have brazed up broken needles in my New Holland baler while I had new ones on order and they held up well.


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## Hacke (Feb 22, 2011)

I have done a number, some succesfully, with oxy-acetylene torch. The pro's use TIG:


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## Hacke (Feb 22, 2011)

Looking at CNH Parts List, I found part number K947344 to be a part for David Brown 1190 and 1194.
I can not find a Parts List for Case 380CK.

Listing parts for 1190 (see parts #33 and #34) gives that there are two types of water outlet. It seems that yours is for tractors with power steering, and that it has part number K921853, see attached diagram for 1190, and that K947344 is without the bracket.

In Parts List for 1194 (see parts #29 and #30) the part numbers are switched?
According to the diagram for 1190, K921853 has the bracket like yours. Looking at this (click for picture under "Rock Valley Tractor Parts"):
https://www.tractor-part.com/Parts?Number=K921853
Something is wrong.

The diagram for David Brown 885 Selectamatic shows K921853, without the bracket?


These do not have the part, but maybe they can get it:
http://www.mainetractors.net/david-...s/david-brown-885-parts-case-380-ck-parts.htm


I think it is better to repair the part. 

*** Edit
Placed the images in a pdf for better visibility.
Added list for 1194.
***


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## deerhide (Oct 20, 2016)

Try Fawcett tractor parts or JB Weld.


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## John Palmer (Mar 11, 2019)

Hacke said:


> Looking at CNH Parts List, I found part number K947344 to be a part for David Brown 1190 and 1194.
> I can not find a Parts List for Case 380CK.
> 
> Listing parts for 1190 (see parts #33 and #34) gives that there are two types of water outlet. It seems that yours is for tractors with power steering, and that it has part number K921853, see attached diagram for 1190, and that K947344 is without the bracket.
> ...


So the 380ck is an industrial tractor, and if you go to Case's Construction site they have a full parts diagram/manual for this very tractor. It calls out the part#947344 with the bracket, which is an alternator bracket. I actually found one in the UK and hes quoting me shipping costs, but I am trying as well to find someone in the area that may be able to make the repair. May do both, who knows.. Thanks for all the help!


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## Hacke (Feb 22, 2011)

Well, I do not think I helped anything, but it is fun to learn as you do a research. I did not know about the construction site, Thank you.

Anyhow, if it has the bracket, it does not matter what the part number is.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

John Palmer said:


> Hey everyone I have run into quite a problem here. I have a 1972 Case 380ck (David Brown 885) where I recently replaced the water pump gasket and seal. While I was in there I decided to replace the thermostat as well. When re-installing the thermostat housing, aka Water Outlet as described on the parts diagram, the base snapped. Now it is made of cast iron and is 48 years old, so I wasn't too surprised that this occurred. Does anyone know whether or not this can be fixed? Can cast iron be welded? One might think the best route is to replace the part. I have searched high and low all the way to the UK to find this part and no one has it. Any and all help/advice is much appreciated.
> Part #K947344
> View attachment 55873
> View attachment 55875
> ...


B















Do Not weld it.
Braze it.
A competent welder could do it for you pretty easily though
brazing is becoming something of a lost art.
If you can't find someone to do it for you send it to me. I would do it for you just for fun.

PS,
JB Weld is for amatuers!


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## Fedup (Feb 25, 2014)

Now there's an attitude!!


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## The 203 (Apr 27, 2020)

Brazing and cast iron go together for the long term. Pre heat to a dull red. It has to flow out. Like tinning the surface when soldering


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## Gary Yancey (Nov 24, 2019)

John Palmer said:


> Hey everyone I have run into quite a problem here. I have a 1972 Case 380ck (David Brown 885) where I recently replaced the water pump gasket and seal. While I was in there I decided to replace the thermostat as well. When re-installing the thermostat housing, aka Water Outlet as described on the parts diagram, the base snapped. Now it is made of cast iron and is 48 years old, so I wasn't too surprised that this occurred. Does anyone know whether or not this can be fixed? Can cast iron be welded? One might think the best route is to replace the part. I have searched high and low all the way to the UK to find this part and no one has it. Any and all help/advice is much appreciated.
> Part #K94734
> 
> 
> ...





John Palmer said:


> Hey everyone I have run into quite a problem here. I have a 1972 Case 380ck (David Brown 885) where I recently replaced the water pump gasket and seal. While I was in there I decided to replace the thermostat as well. When re-installing the thermostat housing, aka Water Outlet as described on the parts diagram, the base snapped. Now it is made of cast iron and is 48 years old, so I wasn't too surprised that this occurred. Does anyone know whether or not this can be fixed? Can cast iron be welded? One might think the best route is to replace the part. I have searched high and low all the way to the UK to find this part and no one has it. Any and all help/advice is much appreciated.
> Part #K947344
> View attachment 55873
> View attachment 55875
> ...


There's a YouTube video about gas welding cast with a cast iron rod. The user said not special cooling required because it is cast iron to cast iron. I want to get me some of these rods just to try. I did repair a cast iron bench using a brazing rod without any issues, so you might try that. A machine shop can make you one from aluminium but it might be cost prohibitive.


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## willy81 (Jan 30, 2020)

Wonder how many people know that that for wood stoves they make a cement for them and some 
people have used the cement to fix the exhaust manifold on the 454's whole lot cheaper than buying
an exhaust manifold...........perhaps you could try this???


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## willy81 (Jan 30, 2020)

have you tried finding one similar in a junk yard? Perhaps a auto junk yard just might have hanging 
on the wall and you can take the one you have and compare it with one of them?


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## willy81 (Jan 30, 2020)

don't know much about tractor parts but can you find the spec's on any other tractor thermostat
housings?? or maybe a tractor parts shop would have one that would replace the one you have?
it might be for a different tractor but if it fits.............


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## ck3510hb (Sep 12, 2016)

JB Weld is for amateur's, ok, I once bought an 8n at auction that went cheap because of the jb smeared all over the side of the block. I used it for cleanup several years, son used several more. Then I sold it for make offer. Gor more than I paid. Sometimes amateur works.


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## John Palmer (Mar 11, 2019)

deerhide said:


> Try Fawcett tractor parts or JB Weld.


If I did decide to try JB Weld, is there a certain type you recommend?


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## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

John Palmer said:


> Hey everyone I have run into quite a problem here. I have a 1972 Case 380ck (David Brown 885) where I recently replaced the water pump gasket and seal. While I was in there I decided to replace the thermostat as well. When re-installing the thermostat housing, aka Water Outlet as described on the parts diagram, the base snapped. Now it is made of cast iron and is 48 years old, so I wasn't too surprised that this occurred. Does anyone know whether or not this can be fixed? Can cast iron be welded? One might think the best route is to replace the part. I have searched high and low all the way to the UK to find this part and no one has it. Any and all help/advice is much appreciated.
> Part #K947344
> View attachment 55873
> View attachment 55875
> ...



Cast iron can be successfully welded using several methods, but each has good/bad points associated with the repair. Unless you have access to a certified welder with cast iron experience, the best bet is brazing with Oxy/Acet torch. The part must be preheated to roughly 450 deg F, cherry red, and controlled cooling with oil bath after welding to prevent stress cracking the repair, Eutectic brazing rods will work well for this. Certified welders will prefer controlled TIG stitch welding using a high nickel filler rod. I have also seen repairs made using 1/16 nickel rods with a DC welder, straight polarity, using stitch welding method. The secret is to proceed slowly and not overheat the work. If no experience doing either of these, I would not recommend. Machining the repair can also be a problem if the machinist has no experience with cast iron. Either way, you can wind up spending more money on a repair vs replacement. There are several tractor bone yards which may have one at minimal cost. I would trust replacement over repair due to getting a proper sealing unit from repair, and the potential of a repeat failure.


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## deerhide (Oct 20, 2016)

John Palmer said:


> If I did decide to try JB Weld, is there a certain type you recommend?


 John,
JB weld is just that. A pack with 2 tubes of whatever it is and you mix them...I think it would also fix the 'crack of dawn' !!


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

There are different grades of cast iron.
Engine blocks and tractor transmission housings are cast with a very good grade of cast iron. Thermostat housings are a much lesser grade and do not like welding as much as they would brazing.
Cast iron exhaust manifolds? Worse type of cast and even harder to repair.
Here is a repair i helped with a couple of years ago.
Someone had busted a big chunk out of the transmission on a Ford 5000. We bought it cheap because of that and fixed it.
We cut out the busted area then cut the corresponding piece from an empty 5000 transmission case we got from a boneyard.
It was a fun Saturday Morning project and though I have considerable experience welding and brazing cast Iron, I still learned a lot from the master himself - my great pal Kenny.
Though this was done with electric welding, I would not electric weld a ci thermostat housing. I would braze it instead.
Because of what type of cast iron it is made of.


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## bbirder (Feb 26, 2006)

He sure does run a good bead.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

My Dad was a welder for 50 years. He was a Lead welder when they were building the launch pads for Cape Canaveral back in the 50's. Unfortunately, he was also a drunk and never even taught me to strike an arc as a kid. I did get the opportunity to talk to him about some things in his old age. He said the two hardest things to weld are aluminum and cast iron. He said brazing was best for cast iron and the key is patience

At his funeral, I met an old guy that had worked with him for 30 years. He said "Your Dad could weld a set of balls on a snow man with a Lincoln buzz box".... Now that is some serious welding talent


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## John Palmer (Mar 11, 2019)

Ultradog said:


> There are different grades of cast iron.
> Engine blocks and tractor transmission housings are cast with a very good grade of cast iron. Thermostat housings are a much lesser grade and do not like welding as much as they would brazing.
> Cast iron exhaust manifolds? Worse type of cast and even harder to repair.
> Here is a repair i helped with a couple of years ago.
> ...


That repair looks amazing


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