Any inline chevy experts among us?

[BD]

I managed to break the lower thermostat housing on the '68 chevy 153 four banger that's in my 1947 CJ2a this evening. I've search online for a replacement for two hours with no luck. However, they are available for the inline chevy 250 six. Any chance these are interchangeable? They sure look similar, with only the angle of the heater outlet a little different.

[rancher1913]

you might try the junkyard exchange, most junkyards are linked and your local yard can get the part sent to them, it aint cheep if they think they got you over a barrel.

[Chad5005]

check the one on a 151 iron duke chevy 4 banger

[BD]

Not much similarity between the Pontiac Iron Duke and the chevy 153. The Pontiac is a cross flow head. My 153 intakes and exhaust both on the drivers side. The 153 shares a lot of internal parts with the inline sixes of that time period. I just don't know it they share thermostat housings.

[BD]

There are lots of these engines around, it was the mercruiser 120 inboard, and it's in a lot of industrial equipment applications as well. Unfortunately for me in this instance, boats and manlifts typically don't have heaters, making their thermostat housings useless to me in this case.

[Chad5005]

the Pontiac replaced the earlier chevy iron duke and the cross flow head didn't come out till 79

[sigep1764]

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rnb-902-1017?seid=srese1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyKHxmaOK6AIVUT0MCh00tQ8xEAQYASAB EgKuDPD_BwE

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rnb-902-1033?seid=srese1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyKHxmaOK6AIVUT0MCh00tQ8xEAQYAiAB EgKafvD_BwE

Which one is it?

[tomme boy]

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=819184&cc=1040285&jsn=566

[Mytmousemalibu]

Might try Googling images of Chevrolet 250ci inline sixes to see if they look alike. Not sure what architecture it is closest to, perhaps also the 235ci. These sadly aren't common anymore in junkyards but theres still plenty of GM 6 banger parts around. Hard to find old school small block Chevys too. Its all LS's and modern 4 bangers anymore.

[BD]

258219

It's not the water neck that's broken, it's the thermostat housing. The piece underneath that the thermostat rests on in a slight recessed groove and the water neck bolts don onto. This housing bolts horizontally into the front of the head. Looking at pictures online it looks very much like the thermostat housing for the 250 inline six, only the angle of the heater supply hose is different, but I think I have plenty of room for that hose to come off at nearly any angle. If I've managed to insert the correct pic you can see the corner of the housing snapped off below the bolt. I put a piece of all thread through it with nuts above and below this morning which may be enough for me to move it if need be and get the timing set properly. But it's not going to last long like that.

[bob208]

just checked to make sure looked at my 69 truck with a 250 they look the same as the pic. you could try merc curser marine their 181 is the same as the 153 and 151.

[Rick Hodges]

You might want to try JB Weld....don't laugh. A friend of mine campaigns a 300 Ford six drag car...(don't laugh it runs 9.00's quarter mile and been to the Nationals a couple of times). He cracked the block, through to the water jacket...cleaned it up and patched it with JB Weld and raced that engine for another 3 years....all with the JB Weld patch.

Oh, he ran that car without a radiator, changed water between runs....so it got plenty hot. If all else fails it is worth a try.

[sigep1764]

Would this be close?
https://www.12bolt.com/store/p157/_Thermostat_Housing_Upper_Lower_New.html

[EDG]

I would contact a parts retailer or a junk yard in a large city and ask them to check the 250 housing interchangability for you. Chevrolet also manufactured a 194 inline 6 for the Chevy II at the same time the 153 engine was introduced in the Chevy II in 1962. The 194 was later dropped for a 230 inline 6 on the same block (with a larger bore) and same crank as the 194. Later the 250 was released with the same bore as the 230 but with a longer stroke requiring a different crankshaft.
There is a very high chance that the 250 part is the same part as the boat part.
I can't say I am an expert but I bought a used 1963 Chevy II Super Sport in 1968. I wore out the 194 and gave it to my brother in 1972. He bought a 250 Chevrolet crate engine intended for a pickup. We changed the oil pan, oil pump pick up and the dip stick to match the Chevy II front sump requirement. He drove that car until about 1980 and sold it back to me. I drove it until 1989 so it was in the family until it was old enough to vote.
From what I remember the 194 and the 250 had the same thermostat housings. I can remember leaving the new thermostat housing on the 250 when it was installed in the Chevy II and it fit the original radiator hose.
If your engine still has the die cast aluminum upper thermostat housing, what you call the neck, I would get rid of the aluminum part. It will eventually crack or corrode through or both. Replace it with a cast iron or steel part.
I guess from all of the above you should have a large supply of old Chevrolet 6 cylinders dating from 1962 on that should be similar to your part. I suspect the 292 would also be the same but I never owned one. It was the same engine with a taller block for a longer stroke. It was only used in trucks.

If you are concerned about boat parts they may just have a tapped hole for 1/2" pipe threads with a pipe plug in the same old car part. The other alternative is they used the car part casting and did not drill and tap the hole for the heater hose fitting.





258219

It's not the water neck that's broken, it's the thermostat housing. The piece underneath that the thermostat rests on in a slight recessed groove and the water neck bolts don onto. This housing bolts horizontally into the front of the head. Looking at pictures online it looks very much like the thermostat housing for the 250 inline six, only the angle of the heater supply hose is different, but I think I have plenty of room for that hose to come off at nearly any angle. If I've managed to insert the correct pic you can see the corner of the housing snapped off below the bolt. I put a piece of all thread through it with nuts above and below this morning which may be enough for me to move it if need be and get the timing set properly. But it's not going to last long like that.

[Winger Ed.]

Look up 'Summit Racing'.

Its a hot rod engine parts supplier. They have all that kind of stuff.
Its one of those companies that 'if they don't have it--- you don't need it'.

Others that probably have one is O'Riely's and NAPA.

[Mohawk Daddy]

Searched 153 Chevy 4 cylinder and found the history of the engine. It was a spinoff of Chevy's 3rd generation 6 cylinder engines which included the 194/230/250 and 292 engines which were all pretty similar except for the 292 which used a taller block, as has already been mentioned. The wiki says your 153 has the same bore and stroke of the 230 engine and "many" internal parts are the same. I would bet the part you need is identical to the ones that fit a 230 or 250 engine.
p.s. The 153 hasn't been used in cars for 50 years, but it was still being produced as late as 2018 as a marine or industrial engine.
The 3rd gen sixes were produced from 1962 through 1988. I sold my 230 in 1974.

[BD]

Thanks sigep, that is the one for the 250 six I've been seeing pictures of. I asked 12Bolt Tom, he has them, and he told me they are in fact compatible so I ordered one. It's a casting, I'll need to flatten the mating surfaces, but it will work and the bolt "ears" are reinforced with an additional boss below the bolt. I'll let you know how this works out. And I'll buy a 3/8" torque wrench and try to go a little more gently into the future with this old stuff.

[Jniedbalski]

I have been finding car stuff on amazon lately. With the usual Jegs, or summit, some times being cheeper.i haven’t been to auto zone in a few years. All this old parts where easily found a few years ago. Not any more. Try finding parts for a slant 6 . Junk yards where full of them . Now there no where to be found. All the junk yards around here cleaned house a few years ago

[Finster101]

Is that heater hose nipple threaded? If so you could easily get fittings and elbows from a plumbing section to get you the clearance you need.

[sigep1764]

Thanks sigep, that is the one for the 250 six I've been seeing pictures of. I asked 12Bolt Tom, he has them, and he told me they are in fact compatible so I ordered one. It's a casting, I'll need to flatten the mating surfaces, but it will work and the bolt "ears" are reinforced with an additional boss below the bolt. I'll let you know how this works out. And I'll buy a 3/8" torque wrench and try to go a little more gently into the future with this old stuff.

Glad I could help ya, buddy! I had a little time before work today, no worries. And definitely let me know how it turns out.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I have been finding car stuff on amazon lately. With the usual Jegs, or summit, some times being cheeper.i haven’t been to auto zone in a few years. All this old parts where easily found a few years ago. Not any more. Try finding parts for a slant 6 . Junk yards where full of them . Now there no where to be found. All the junk yards around here cleaned house a few years ago

Unfortunately you hit the nail on the head, I miss those days. All the old stuff is gone. Its probably been almost 10yrs ago, a buddy of mine needed a plain jane stamped small block chevy valve cover so he tried all the local yards. Not a single one, all LS engines even then. He just wanted one to cut the top off of to make a splash dam to lash the valves on his 73' Vette.

Used to be all kinds of neat old stuff at the salvage but you have to go to a specialty yard for that stuff now and those are few & far.

[PNW_Steve]

Unfortunately you hit the nail on the head, I miss those days. All the old stuff is gone. Its probably been almost 10yrs ago, a buddy of mine needed a plain jane stamped small block chevy valve cover so he tried all the local yards. Not a single one, all LS engines even then. He just wanted one to cut the top off of to make a splash dam to lash the valves on his 73' Vette.

Used to be all kinds of neat old stuff at the salvage but you have to go to a specialty yard for that stuff now and those are few & far.

My last visit to a salvage yard was a couple of years ago north of Seattle. I was looking forward van seat. I walked in and stood at the counter for several minutes before I could get someone to notice me. I asked about the seat and she rather curtly you explained that she had no idea what they had in the yard. If I wanted to go out and look to see if they had what I needed I could give her $7 entrance fee to go look. I declined, went home, jumped on CL and found a really nice seat for $25 delivered.

Chris,

I love your signature line. In the recent past I was scolded on one board for mentioning prayer. Then, on another board, I mentioned God and guns in a post and got banned for it.

I am loving this forum. Members speak freely about a broad range of topics including Faith and politics and it's OK. We are, mostly, adults here and should be able to have adult conversations with others that have different views.

Thanks for putting up with me :)

S.


"God, Family, Country"

[Lloyd Smale]

I know back in the 60s the 6 cyl used the same one as the 283 did. I put a 283 in a nova that had a 6 and used the one off the 6cyl.

[a danl]

check to see if they take the same thermostat if they do they will probably fit

[sigep1764]

Thanks sigep, that is the one for the 250 six I've been seeing pictures of. I asked 12Bolt Tom, he has them, and he told me they are in fact compatible so I ordered one. It's a casting, I'll need to flatten the mating surfaces, but it will work and the bolt "ears" are reinforced with an additional boss below the bolt. I'll let you know how this works out. And I'll buy a 3/8" torque wrench and try to go a little more gently into the future with this old stuff.

Well, hows it working out for ya?

[leadman]

If the housing you ordered doesn't work try the Chrome Shop here in Phoenix, Az. They have lots of restoration parts for GM products. I bought steering shaft parts for my '87 motorhome from them.

[BD]

The housing showed up this week, I painted it and flattened the gasket faces some and I should have it installed this weekend. It has a couple extra threaded ports, but I can just plug those. I put a carb kit in the old Rochester Monojet while I was waiting and that will go back on this weekend as well. The carb was a mess, it looks like the last guy who was in it only had an ax and a pry bar for tools. I soaked it in lacquer thinner overnight and then flushed about a quarter cup of dirt out the next day. We'll see how it goes.

[BD]

I installed the new housing and it's matching water neck today. All looks good. The mounting plate of the housing is 1/2" thicker, (needed longer bolts),and it has a couple extra ports, and it leans out from the face of the block a little more, but there is plenty of room for all of those variations so I'm all set.