I just keep ruining stuff....two steps forward, one step back.

Hitchhiker said:
what do you guys think of the aftermarket neck with water temp sender hole?
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They are fine as long as they are iron. Aluminum ones can be fine if you take special precautions to avoid its eventual plugging with corrosion due to the reaction between the dissimilar metals.
 
I broke the first one I installed... Now, I torque in steps of 10 ft-lbs. and do not exceed past 55 ft-lbs. on the goose neck nuts. I have a Hi-comp. head so I do continue to 65 ft-lbs. on the remaining head nuts.
 
FWIW:

I was warned over 50 years ago by an experienced & very particular auto manufacturer's school trained mechanic to put a straight edge, (such as a carpenter's square), on the surface of the Model A block's head & also on the surface of the bottom of the water outlet to check to see if both of these Model A water outlet contact surfaces were flat.

He had already experienced the possibility Model A water outlet ears breaking off in the late 1920's & later.

If both surfaces were flat, (& they always were), he recommended to take a flat file & carefrully remove metal from the longitudinal center of the water outlet contact surface such that one could see a tiny bit of daylight when a straight edge was placed across this surface; i.e., removing maybe 0.005" of metal in the center tapering outwards to 0.00" by the (2) adjacent bolt holes.

We used water outlet gaskets made with cardboard from shoe boxes coated with Permatex No, 2 on both sides at that time, & never heard about or used the paper match trick recommended to prevent breaking the outlet.

We later used the thicker copper/asbestos original type gaskets with no problems.

With this careful precaution, we never broke a single Model A water outlet.

Hope this can help someone someday.
 
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Hitchhiker said:
what do you guys think of the aftermarket neck with water temp sender hole?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't even consider it. There is too much risk of breaking. Why risk breaking a fifty dollar part when there is NO risk in using the stainless steel temperature probe pipe that lists for under twenty dollars. The probe is more obvious in the upper neck than if used in the probe pipe.
 
"If both surfaces were flat, (& they always were), he recommended to take a flat file & carefrully remove metal from the longitudinal center of the water outlet contact surface such that one could see a tiny bit of daylight when a straight edge were placed across this surface; i.e., removing maybe 0.005" of metal in the center tapering outwards to 0.00" by the (2) adjacent bolt holes."

That's what I've been doing since I broke an outlet ear many years ago. Never had a problem using this method, either with the copper gasket, or just using RTV.:)

 
steve s said:
One of the rules is that everyone has to break a water outlet. Now you can tick that off the list. If you go without a gasket, make sure both surfaces are very flat; if you go with a gasket, make sure both surfaces are very flat.
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Steve,
I got my latest Model A in December, 2012. I replaced the water pump about two months ago. I had read about the water neck problems, so I did not mess with it. It does not leak. I posted a picture of my engine and another member pointed out that I have the incorrect, earlier short water neck. I said, "That's OK, it will stay just the way it is for now."
Mike
 
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