54 Packard - Removing the Thermostat Housing Bolts

Posted by Frank On 2009/11/11 20:42:05

Just a basic question for the forum members who deal with this issue, I'm sure over and over. After a month or so of debating whether to put alot of force to remove the 2 bolts that hold down the thermostat flange (cover) I decided to go for it. I bought a torque wrench and leaned into it. I think it was coming loose and then all of a sudden - snap! The bolt broke in half. So my question is - where did I go wrong? I hit it with WD40 about a week ago. A friend told me I needed to remove it while it was hot. I'm taking it over to an auto repair shop tomorrow where I'm hoping they can remove the half bolt left in the head and while it's in there, I'll have them put in the new thermostat. I was cranking it to the counterclockwise when it snapped. Thanks for the advice.