Thermostat install???

[02RedLightning]

Anyone who installed a colder thermostat, where exactly is the thermostat housing located? Also any tips or tricks to doing it smoothly? Going to try and install mine tomorrow and from my Ford Service CD I can't make out where it is showing me. Lastly does anyone know if the thermostat has any index or reference that it needs to be taken into consideration during reinstall??

Thanks

 

[hmwave]

Under the front of the car, there's a bell shaped aluminum cast housing on the main radiator hose on the drivers side. The stat is in there. It has two bolts.

When you remove it watch for the rubber seal popping out and make sure everything goes back in the same way.

It's easy to do as long as you have plenty rags and a bucket to hold the fluid and plenty milk jugs to take the old fluid to recycle.
I set my heater control to max heat before I started.

I refilled the motor with distilled water, ran it for 5mins, drained that again, and then filled with Premium Ford antifreeze mixed with distilled water at 50/50 ratio.

MAKE SURE you bleed the motor through the burp fitting on the black metal pipe at the top driver side of the motor, it takes a 1/4" drive fitting. With the port open I filled the radiator first until I could see the fluid and then filled through the port until it was full. After running the motor for a short while I bled it again at the port.

 

[02RedLightning]

Thanks hmwave!

When you say make sure everything goes back in the sameway? What exactly do you mean by that? Just the proper sequence of thermostat and then o-ring or does the thermostat have an index on it that I will need to find on the new thermostat and line that up??

Thanks again!

 

[trey193]

Is it totally necessary to burp the system I have heard of people getting air pockets and whatnot and causing boil overs. I am going to install a Hypertech 160 powerstat. If you could go over the complete process of filling and burping the system be as indepth and specific as you would like, I am all ears!!

 

[hmwave]

Originally posted by 02RedLightning
Thanks hmwave!

When you say make sure everything goes back in the sameway? What exactly do you mean by that? Just the proper sequence of thermostat and then o-ring or does the thermostat have an index on it that I will need to find on the new thermostat and line that up??

Thanks again!

When I did mine so much fluid came gushing out that when I opened the housing the old stat and rubber o-ring shot out onto the garage floor! I had to closely inspect it to work out how to refit. From memory I think the ring goes first, then the stat.
It's not too difficult to work it out. You should open up the housing first, let it all drain (takes a while) then carefully separate the housing. Not sure about an index, just make sure it goes the right way around, same as the one coming out.

 

[hmwave]

Originally posted by trey193
Is it totally necessary to burp the system I have heard of people getting air pockets and whatnot and causing boil overs. I am going to install a Hypertech 160 powerstat. If you could go over the complete process of filling and burping the system be as indepth and specific as you would like, I am all ears!!

Yes, you MUST burp it. The 'process' is as I described in my first post. I filled the radiator nearly to the top, then topped up via the burp port. See first post for rest.

Didn't have any problems after doing that.

Just make sure you test your heater and watch the temp guage closely. If it gets high you will know it needs reburping (just loosen the burp plug a little under all the air bleeds out).

It's a lot simpler than it sounds.