When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Well I found that the 2nd Mustang in our family, 2006, had a leak in the bottom part of the thermostat housing. The car has 80,000 miles on it .
My son was home from college and I noticed his coolant reservoir was low so I decided to rent a coolant pressure tester from O'Reilly. After pressure testing the cooling system I notice a good size leak at the bottom part of the housing.
Fortunately I saved the plastic thermostat housing from my other son's 2008 Mustang so we installed it and then I had my son order the metal thermostat housing and a new thermostat.
When he comes back through in May we will replace it.
I would encourage any of you with a thermostat plastic housing to go ahead and use the coolant pressure tester and check for leaks.
Make sure to rent the adapters for the tester so the tester will fit over the overflow reservoir opening.
When they go, they go. It can happen any time and it will. They don't give you advance warning. Your clue was a low reservoir. For others it's a wet engine, the smell of evaporating coolant or coolant on the ground. The failure of plastic housings is well known and ranks up there with other known engineering failures like water infiltration, bubbling paint and difficult to fill gas tanks. I'm not suggesting that pressure checking isn't a good idea once you have reason to believe there is a problem. But in advance of any symptoms, like you had, it's not likely to disclose anything. I don't doubt that there are instances of ruined engines that result. I just haven't heard of any yet.
It is odd about these housings. My original lasted 146K miles. The replacement "upgraded" plastic unit... lasted a year. Currently, the car is sporting a nice, shiny aluminum housing and it's owner once again has complete confidence in it. Something you don't wanna mess with in SW Florida is a cooling system with and Achilles Heel.
Well I found that the 2nd Mustang in our family, 2006, had a leak in the bottom part of the thermostat housing. The car has 80,000 miles on it .
My son was home from college and I noticed his coolant reservoir was low so I decided to rent a coolant pressure tester from O'Reilly. After pressure testing the cooling system I notice a good size leak at the bottom part of the housing.
Fortunately I saved the plastic thermostat housing from my other son's 2008 Mustang so we installed it and then I had my son order the metal thermostat housing and a new thermostat.
When he comes back through in May we will replace it.
I would encourage any of you with a thermostat plastic housing to go ahead and use the coolant pressure tester and check for leaks.
Make sure to rent the adapters for the tester so the tester will fit over the overflow reservoir opening.
Rented this one from O'Reilly
Where did you buy the metal lower thermostat housing from?
I've replaced mine 5 times now and it keeps blowing. But mine blew at 80 mph on I-30 in Texas. Luckily saw white smoke in the mirror an pulled over.
I procured mine via these folks.... though I think it was through Amazon... or possibly even directly. Seems they are out of stock at the moment?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2005-2010-mustang-4-0-metal-thermostat-housing-/301678123372?vxp=mtr
Bullet proof unit... if you can find one... absolutely go for it!
There is a sticky for an old group buy on this forum. I wonder if we could get up another group buy from the seller? It would save us some $$ and give us reassurance to a better built thermostat.
03-27-2015, 10:12 AM
2006 Mustang Thermostat Housing leak
