Where can I get an OEM thermostat for a 1974 Chevy C10 with a 454?

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croker

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Where can I get an OEM thermostat for a 1974 Chevy C10 with a factory 454cu.in.engine? Also a tstat housing gasket?
 

Old77

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Have you looked on Rock Auto?
 

KnuckleBuster

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Pretty much anywhere that sells GM or Delco parts.
 

RecklessWOT

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There's no specific advantage of getting the exact OEM tstat. Of course you don't want to buy the cheapest junk at the parts store, but basically any decent quality one will be the same. They are extremely simple devices, when it gets to a certain temperature it expands enough that it opens. REALLY cheaply made ones are junk and get stuck, but just because it doesn't say GM or AcDelco on the box doesn't mean it's no good.
 

SirRobyn0

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They are nothing special. Only thing I can add is buy the higher quality. Have had problems with economy stats.
I agree with that. You won't find A/C Delco or Delco branded thermostats anymore for these trucks they are long out of production and sadly stat brand is gone too. I'd probably pick gates over motorad, and premium over economy.

EDIT: UPDATE, I was wrong about the A/C Delco stats being out of production see post #13 for a link to them. Sorry about that!
 
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BurbanPena

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DoubleDingo

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Motorad has pretty much taken over, and they are junk, but that may be your only option. Stant is gone, so if you find an actual Stant, keep it. Usually they are Stant boxes with motorad inside.
 

fast 99

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Motorad has pretty much taken over, and they are junk, but that may be your only option. Stant is gone, so if you find an actual Stant, keep it. Usually they are Stant boxes with motorad inside.
The shop I work at tries to keep prices down for customers even if it costs them money. Makes no sense to me. Service writers most of the time pick the cheapest part. It's a constant battle between techs and front counter. When I get a cheap stat is goes back up front and I order the "higher" quality part. My experience with bargain stats is they work about a year if you're lucky.
 

DoubleDingo

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The shop I work at tries to keep prices down for customers even if it costs them money. Makes no sense to me. Service writers most of the time pick the cheapest part. It's a constant battle between techs and front counter. When I get a cheap stat is goes back up front and I order the "higher" quality part. My experience with bargain stats is they work about a year if you're lucky.
I noticed on my Jeep, the motorad cuts the gasket and causes a leak. There is a lip around the housing of the t-stat that cuts the gasket. The first motorad I installed, (it did cut the gasket, but not enough to create a leak) I had actually ordered a Stant, and I remembered the Stant box, but I didn't pay attention while installing it, that it was actually a motorad. That t-stat couldn't hold a steady temperature. The Jeep has always ran a steady 200 no matter what you're doing. The motorad would continually bounce from 210 to 190 and it was the higher priced one.

Last year I was on the hunt for a hoard of Stant. Rock Auto wouldn't ship Stant here to CA. BS. I then discovered that Stant is no longer in business. So, I asked my local mom and pop auto parts store if they can still get Stant, they said yes. I had them order me 10. Each one of the Stant boxes had a motorad in it, so I returned them.

I remembered when I installed the first motorad that I thought was a Stant, I kept the Stant and put it in the Stant box that first motorad came in. Granted, this was after installing a new, second motorad, the one that cut the gasket and caused a huge leak. It was only then that I realized I had installed a motorad a couple of years prior, and it too had the lip around the housing that cut the gasket.

I dug around and found that old Stant, reinstalled it, and the Jeep holds steady at 200. That old Stant is still in there. I will only buy motorad if I truly have to, until then, I will no longer replace the t-stat just because I am in there, like I used to do.

I am going to be replacing the thermostat housing soon, and when I do, that old Stant is going back in.

This what I have to say to Motorad :flipthebird::flipthebird:
 

Bextreme04

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SirRobyn0

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Earlier I said that the A/C Delco stats were out of production and I guess I was wrong. We have a wholesale supplier at the shop that is an A/C Delco distributor and I was told a few years ago that they were out of production for these trucks, but obviously I was given bad information, thank you for correcting that. I will edit my prior post.
 

DoubleDingo

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Carb'ed Vortec 350; 1972 L48 350
Earlier I said that the A/C Delco stats were out of production and I guess I was wrong. We have a wholesale supplier at the shop that is an A/C Delco distributor and I was told a few years ago that they were out of production for these trucks, but obviously I was given bad information, thank you for correcting that. I will edit my prior post.
Hopefully they are not motorad in AC Delco boxes
 

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