ya, when I took it apart the thermostat was not centered but shifted some during taking it apart. I used a small amount of silicone around the edge of it and put it in place on the gasket centered and let it tack up. THEN, I put the housing together...so it should be centered this time. Will see tomorrow.

 

re-centering the thermostat on the gasket using a small ring of silicon sealant on the outer flange, then placing it gently on the gasket centered...holding in place until it tacked up did the trick. THEN put it together. Used some sealant on the pipe ends to connect the hoses for a better seal (Thx for the tips tim). No more drips. temps around running at around 174 - highest seen so far 183 then it came back down.