5.0stanger

Auto Zone, felpro gasket set for like $56, what I used, worked good.

ddeaton66

+1

ttoppedaerocoupe

sorry about all the noob questions guys, but I am planning on attacking the stang this weekend to fix this overheating problem...While I have everything apart, is it worth cleaning my TB? I don't know if I am going to be wasting my time, and I am sure that once I get everything back together, the last thing I will want to do is waste time cleaning the TB when I can be out enjoying my new toy!

alex m

Tims 88GT

shure you could clean it.

5.0stanger

You can, but it probably wont help anything unless it is really dirty. It isn't hard to do it later though.... Did you do a compression test?

ttoppedaerocoupe

not yet, Im at college right now, stangs at home. I am going home this weekend, start with a new t-stat, then run a comp check from there if its still overheating.

88blackCONvert

Good luck about it NOT being head gaskets! Although if they are blown, and you have some experience tearing down and successfully putting a motor back togather, then the ford won't be too big a problem. In the event you have to take the dizzy out (you shouldn't have to, but if you brake an intake bolt you will ot get the lower intake out) make sure you mark (with a sharpie, or paint) the rotor direction, and mark the dizzy base so you can just drop it right back in on your marks. this will save a bit of time, and you should get a haynes, or chiltons manual to help you along with torque specs and tightening patterns and such.

Get a can of penetrating oil (PB Blaster works great) and soak your bolts down for a while. I broke a bolt in my intake, but just soaked it afterwards, and got a pair of vicegrips on it and it came right out.

Haynes or Chiltons will tell you everything you need to know for about 16 bucks!

ttoppedaerocoupe

yeah, im pickin up a haynes manulal tomorrow. Ive torn down and rebuilt a couple engines in my day, im not anticipating it to be much of a problem, thanks for the dizzy tip, f'ed myself over before, wont do it again. Thanks anyways tho.

alex m

ttoppedaerocoupe

OK so removed the old thermostat on saturday, got a gasket and new 180* tstat. Tried putting the new t-stat in, wat a PITA. Does anyone have any clues or tips on how to get the bottom bolt into the block? my hands dont really fit down there, and theres a housing in the way. I was able to get the new t-stat gasket combo in there, but when i put fluid in, it leaked like a sieve, sound like i effed the gasket up somehow im the process.

I usually dont do anything to new gaskets, but does anyone have any clues on how to get the new gasket to stay in place while i cuss and cut my fingers trying to get that bottom bolt threaded?

thanks for any info.

And as a side note, I dopped the old t-stat into some boiling water, and it did nothing, not even crack open a little bit. I am hoping and praying that this is the root of my problems.
thanks again for any help.

alex

PRO50SC

Get some spray adhesive like hitack. The t-stat housing is notched for the stat to sit in. Take a little rtv and go around the outside perimeter of the stat that's gonna fit against the housing. Take the sspray adhesive and coat the gasket that will fit over the stat and place the gasket on the housing. Let it dry. It will help hold the stat in place while you set it back in place on the intake. The lower bolt, well there's no easy way. Just make sure the threads and bolt holes in the intake are as clean as possible to help assist you in threading in the bolts by hand. Oh and make sure the pointed end of the stat is facing the housing side, not hte intake side when assembling it.

G/L!