Is this thermostat housing genuine Mopar?

04 LJ

🇺🇸 JEEP 🇺🇸
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So based off of Chris’s great cooling system overhaul thread I am redoing mine. My question is this. Today I received my Mopar? replacement t-stat housing but it seems lighter than the one I took off and some of the symbols/numbers are different and somewhat sketchy. I also noticed that the build quality doesn’t seem anywhere near as good as the original take off. There are numerous imperfections in the material on the replacement housing that my 14 yr old housing doesn’t seem to have (see pic of me pointing to neck). It arrived in a Mopar box but these days that may or may not be legit. I am incluidning pics but since my old one is dirty I will explain in more detail a couple of my concerns. Both have the number 53006192 but one is stamped G17 (new) and one is stamped G18 (old). My main symbol concern is my original has 04 stamped in it with a circle of lines around it that is nice and neat and easy to read. The replacement has a couple of X’s and some poorly stamped symbol I can’t even recognize (see pic of me pointing to both). Kind of looks like a sideways S or 8. Was I dooped?

I briefly glanced through a few cooling threads and didn’t see this exact topic so if it’s out there and I am creating a duplicate post I apologize in advance. Thanks in advance for everyone’s help.

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I'm going to assume it is OE Mopar, and that a some point during the producing they changed manufacturers or casting molds, which is by no means uncommon.
 
I'm going to assume it is OE Mopar, and that a some point during the producing they changed manufacturers or casting molds, which is by no means uncommon.
Thanks Chris. I just realized that the symbol pic sucks. I’m going to try and redo it now. What is your guess as to why the weights are different? Just fyi, it was ordered through Amazon not my local CJD dealer but was advertised as Mopar OEM
 
Better pics of symbols. Anyone here work at CJD stealership that could look at one on the shelf?

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It's just a thermostat housing, I'd install it without issue. Just make sure not to overtighten the two bolts. They're threaded into the head so that would absolutely ruin your entire day if you snapped a bolt or stripped the threads. Personally I'd use a 3/8" ratchet drive, a 1/2" ratchet drive makes it too easy to overtighten that size of bolt.

Install the housing with a gasket, don't use RTV. Make sure the gasket seating surface on the head is absolutely 100% clean/pristine of any of the old gasket. Even the tiniest shard of old material left behind will cause it to leak. I use a small wire brush for final cleaning after scraping the old gasket off with a putty knife.
 
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It's just a thermostat housing, I'd install it without issue. Just make sure not to overtighten the two bolts. They're threaded into the head so that would absolutely ruin your entire day if you snapped a bolt or stripped the threads. Personally I'd use a 3/8" ratchet drive, a 1/2" ratchet drive makes it too easy to overtighten that size of bolt.

Install the housing with a gasket, don't use RTV. Make sure the gasket seating surface on the head is absolutely 100% clean/pristine of any of the old gasket. Even the tiniest shard of old material left behind will cause it to leak. I use a small wire brush for final cleaning after scraping the old gasket off with a putty knife.
Thanks for the advise Jerry! I have scraped the old gasket off the best I can with a razor blade. I def ordered a new gasket with the housing. Is a firm hand tighten good enough for those bolts?
 
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Thanks for the advise Jerry! I have scraped the old gasket off the best I can with a razor blade. I def ordered a new gasket with the pump. Is a firm hand tighten good enough for those bolts?
Best you can with a razor blade may or may not be good enough. If you have a wire brush I'd give it a final go with that too to add a little insurance. Real snug/"goodentite" with firm hand pressure with a 3/8" ratchet drive is good enough. :)
 
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I have one on the shelf waiting to go on mine when I replace all the parts store stuff with MOPAR. It looks exactly like that as far as those weird looking places. Came in a MOPAR box too.
 
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Thanks Chris. I just realized that the symbol pic sucks. I’m going to try and redo it now. What is your guess as to why the weights are different? Just fyi, it was ordered through Amazon not my local CJD dealer but was advertised as Mopar OEM

My guess is that they simply used some slightly different variation of metal. It happens over the span of years when new castings are used and such. I personally wouldn’t worry about it :)
 
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I have one on the shelf waiting to go on mine when I replace all the parts store stuff with MOPAR. It looks exactly like that as far as those weird looking places. Came in a MOPAR box too.
How about the symbols? Do you still have the stocker and did it have a year code stamped in it with a circle of lines around it? If not, did your Mopar replacement have the X’s and weird sideways “S/8” shape stamped in to it like mine does?
 
10/4. Just didn’t want to put a polished 💩 on thinking it was a Mopar part when it was really an auto part store knockoff.
 
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INSTALLATION
(1) Install the replacement thermostat so that the
pellet, which is encircled by a coil spring, faces the
engine. All thermostats are marked on the outer
flange to indicate the proper installed position.
(2) Observe the recess groove in the engine cylinder
head (Fig. 31).
(3) Position thermostat into this groove with arrow
and air bleed hole on outer flange pointing up.
(4) Install replacement gasket and thermostat
housing.
CAUTION: Tightening the thermostat housing
unevenly or with the thermostat out of its recess
may result in a cracked housing.
(5) Tighten the housing bolts to 20 N·m (15 ft. lbs.)
torque.
(6) Install hoses to thermostat housing.
 
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How about the symbols? Do you still have the stocker and did it have a year code stamped in it with a circle of lines around it? If not, did your Mopar replacement have the X’s and weird sideways “S/8” shape stamped in to it like mine does?


The original on is still on the Jeep. I had it off a couple years ago, but I don’t recall what was on it.

The new one on the shelf has those funky looking symbols on it like yours, I think.
 
Looks like a typical 2nd tier OE part. Replacement parts are not the same as Assembly Line Parts, even from the manufacturer. And the longer the vehicle (or part) is away from its last assembly line use, the less it will look like the Assembly Line Part. The quality standards are different, especially in the cosmetic area of mechanical parts (as opposed to body and electrical parts)
 
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Keep the original thermostat housing, clean it up and hang onto it as a spare part.
For sure!

The quality standards are different, especially in the cosmetic area of mechanical parts (as opposed to body and electrical parts)

No doubt. The finish/material quality of this one sucks. Reminds me of Harbor Freight
 
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