I tried to remove my thermostat today. The engine is pretty tight
under the deck so it's hard get at. I got the two bolts out but the
housing still felt like it was welded to the engine.

Is there a lip on the housing that could have rusted it in place or is
it just stuck by the gasket? I'd like a better idea how it goes
together before putting much force on it.

Symptoms of how the engine behaves when the thermostat fails would be
helpful. The engine (raw water version) seems to be running fine so
maybe I'll leave it. OTOH, judging from the paint, no one has had the
thermostat out since 1980.

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Roger Long