Help identifying a part?

[Pannadero]

Hey guys,

Can someone please tell me what part this is? Its the part my thermostat housing bolts on to. Ive been searching for a diagram on google and one image made it look like thats part of the water pump but Im very far from certain. Id appreciate any help.

Thanks all!
***This pic is from mine***

***This is a cleaner pic of what appears to be the same part I found online***

 

[donalds]

You circled the engine head where the thermostat housing bolts down

Here is a pic of the thermostat housing installed on my explorer

 

[CDW6212R]

That'll be the block which the thermostat housing bolts down to. Just clean that up well and use a new seal with a light amount of Ultra RTV.

I thought he was after the lower thermostat housing, which is the weak link there.

 

[Pannadero]

Sorry for delay. I eventually figured out what both of you said, that that is where the thermostat housing is connected to the block.

So, the reason I was curious wondering about that, is I managed to get some metal shavings in there when I had to drill out a stuck thermostat housing bolt.

I used a neodymium magnet (very securely tire off with some high tensile cord) to fish out as many as I could. I'm sure I didn't get them all, and, apart from the water pump, I'm not sure they really pose a problem. However, I was thinking about taking a small magnet and dropping it in there permanently, to catch any shavings I missed before they could travel elsewhere. I was inspired by an article I read years ago about farmers feeding cows a magnet to collect any pieces of bailing wire or other metal junk the cow accidentally eats.

What do you guys think?

 

[shucker1]

I really don't think that a few metal shavings are going to bother anything.

Now if you had a whole large pile in there, perhaps.

 

[CDW6212R]

Next time, wipe it well to remove fluids etc, then use a shop vacuum to get most little stuff out. Use a small hose taped to the end for smaller crevices, like the heater core area.