thermostat housing help!!!

[got_boost702]

****!!! alright now thats outta the way.

Me and my friend were replacing my thermostat and he happened to over tighten the bolts and in turn stripped to of the thermostat housing holes. My solution way to tap the holes with the next size up...Problem with that is the new bolts wont fit in the water neck holes so i could get a dremel and try and make the holes a lil bigger but i dont want to end up causing stress cracks in the water neck so I decided to replace the thermostat housing. But looking at it, it seems to be attached to the block and i dont see how to remove it from the block....please help!!!!

[Nathan]

Helicoil is your friend...unless you allready tapped it up to a bigger size, did you?

[Cyberkreig]

copy paste this link. Clicking it will not work b/c of tripods limitations.

http://cyberkreig.tripod.com/thermostat.jpg

[got_boost702]

i found bolts that will fit through the water neck, so i tapped the holes and just have to put it together tommorow cuz i ran out of daylight. but all i need is antifreeze and a gasket. now according to the diagram it suggest a liquid gasket so should i (A)use only RTV, (B)a paper gasket, (C) all of the above?

[Cyberkreig]

red type silicon leaked when i used it on the water neck. I used a paper gasget.

[180fan]

I've used the red rtv without any problems. you just have to make sure you've got a good bead pattern. I've used the nissan rtv with really good results, it stopped an oil leak at the oil pan on the sr when another 240 buddy stripped his oil pan bolt hole and the permatex stuff leaked