Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Somebody Double-Check Me Please?

[Northrunner]

Look at http://www.dodgeram.info/tsb/1994/07-07-94.htm

TSB 07-04-94, Thermostat replacement, figure #3. I put a new thermostat in my 1998 12v recently. That shoulder on the inner seal does not face the thermostat on my truck? It would not go together with the shoulder facing the thermostat. It appears to be designed so that the shoulder passes through the hole in the lift bracket and then seals against the block. Also, if I could have gotten it together with the shoulder facing the thermostat, then the other side of the lift bracket would mate up against the block with no gasket or seal. Metal to metal?, that would surely leak, I would think?



I put it back together with the shoulder going through the lift bracket and put 500 miles on it last week. No leaks... Am I correct on this?

 

[RyanStewart]

I encountered the same thing when I replaced my thermostat. That diagram is out of a Cummins engine manual, and I think the part about the shoulder is an error. I did the same thing you did, I just put the seal in the way that seemed obvious when I looked at the whole assembly, and put it together that way. 3000 miles later and I haven't lost a drop of coolant.