[Chuck]

Bill:

I had the same issue. I wanted to keep the thermostat in the 'standard' location, so opted to modify a standard thermostat cover.

Finding a thermostat housing that would fit proved to be a real challenge. We finally settled on a generic housing (Stant 31418) and then cut out a notch and re welded it with a 30 degree backward angle.

I had a local welder cut the fitting and do the welding. For a pro this is an easy job and he did a nice job. I did make very detailed drawings so there would be no confusion.

A 180 degree thermostat was used. A standard Ford 302 bypass hose was added.

Even with this set up, the thermostat cover protrudes about a quarter of an inch inside the car, so a small ‘bubble’ will be added to the removable fire wall, similar to the bump to clear the pulley. I estimate that I will cut out a section about 6" long by 3" high and bring it in about a quarter of an inch. It will have no effect on the passenger seat and should be fairly inconspicious. This arrangement is tight, but there is enough clearance to, hopefully, avoid any problems.


I will make sure that the rubber hose does not contact the fire wall to avoid any wear due to engine vibration issues before this project is complete.


I looked a long time for a prefabricated fitting without success.

Your hose goes the other direction, but I expect the same approach would work for you.


Since you have a ZF tranny the mounting location of your engine may result in a slightly different configuration.

If anyone comes up with a better solution that keeps the thermostat in its 'stock' location I would sure like to see it.

A couple of pics follow. More on on by build log. Good luck.


Chuck