Engine cooling

Coolant flanges

Coolant flanges, thermostat housings and outlet pipes: the plastic or aluminium housings that join the hoses, the thermostat and the temperature sensor to the engine, made to the shape, the ports and the seal of the original, for European and Japanese passenger cars, identified by OE reference.

KRONTEK coolant flange: a black plastic housing with three hose ports and a boss for the temperature sensor

A coolant flange is the housing bolted to the cylinder head or the block where the coolant leaves or enters the engine. It carries the stubs for the radiator and heater hoses, often the thermostat, and a boss for the temperature sensor. Older engines used cast aluminium; most engines built since the 1990s use a glass-fibre-reinforced plastic housing with an O-ring or a moulded seal against the engine.

Plastic flanges are a common source of coolant loss on cars past their first decade. The plastic ages in the heat at the back of the engine until a hose stub cracks or the joint face distorts; the seal hardens at the same time. The leak is small and evaporates on the hot engine, so the first sign is often the coolant smell and a slowly falling level in the expansion tank rather than a puddle.

KRONTEK coolant flanges are made to OEM-compliant quality and as aftermarket spare parts: the shape, the hose ports, the sensor boss, the bolt pattern and the seal of the original, so the flange fits the original hoses and sensor.

The range covers European and Japanese passenger cars. Each reference is identified by the OE number of the original part; send that number and the vehicle identification number (VIN) and we confirm the matching KRONTEK reference.

For availability and OE cross-references, contact us by email.

Frequently asked questions

Why do plastic coolant flanges fail?
Heat cycles make the plastic brittle over the years and the seal hardens; the flange then weeps at its joint with the engine or cracks at a hose port. A damp patch and a coolant smell at the side or the back of the cylinder head, with no hose leak, usually points here.
Is the sensor included?
The flange is supplied without the temperature sensor and the thermostat unless our reply says otherwise; the sensor and the thermostat of the original are refitted or replaced separately.

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