Old Car and Bike rambling

I've never labeled myself a mechanic so perhaps the title is a bit misleading. In January, I posted about the OBD2 problems with my van and the past few weeks I've been struggling with a thermostat replacement. At some point, I came to the conclusion that I needed to change the thermostat on my van since it's been running cool for several months. I reasoned that the drive cycle could not activate if the coolant temperature was not getting into the expected operating range. This should not have been a big deal, I've changed a thermostat before in the 200. For some reason, I could not get it to stop leaking when I put it back together. After 5 reinstall and start tries, changing the position of the gasket and using sealants and gasket makers, I found that I had cracked the thermostat housing likely during my first reinstall attempt. Not a huge deal, I found a used housing on ebay and it had all the attached hoses on it for $65 including free shipping. After a few days, th