krd005

Ok going to tackle replacing the thermostat. Everything I read says it is easy. Any advice to help would be appreciated. Also is there anywhere online to find actual pictures or diagramns of where different parts are located under ones hood

giddyup91

it is easy just make sure you get all the old gasket off the housing and everything is good and tight and you should be fine.

I3atR!ce

not hard at all... like giddly said: clean the old crap off (that will be the hardest part). oh and use RTV round the t-stat and put a good think coat over the gasket too. that will make sure it seals really well

krd005

thanks guys!

89gtsleeper

yeah, this is about as basic as it gets... Take off the upper radiator hose first. This is probably just simple clamps.... You don't actually have to take it all the way off. The side that is on the radiator can be left on, but you will need to disconnect the side that's on the tstat housing. Once you have this done, it is just two bolts on the thermostat housing, and it shouldn't be difficult to get to, it's right up front on the motor.... Also, make sure you pay attention to which way the thermostat goes in, or rather how the old one came out... If you put it in backwards, your coolant will not flow to your motor, and you will have a big problem. Other than that, just make sure you get a good gasket on it, and a decent amount of rtv silicone, and you should be in the clear. Installation is exact opposite of removal. Also, I would recommend getting a 180 deg thermostat rather that the stock 192 or a too cool 160. 180 will work best with most 5.0s.

5.0stanger

You sould drain a bit of antifreeze out before you pull the hose....just drain it from the plug on the passager side bottom of the radiator. Run a 180 and be sure to use a gasket. I like to use hightack on my gasket. When you fill it back up be sure to burp it good to get the air out.

settled4automatic

at work i usually just overfill the overfill tank (that looks funny to read i know lol) and the engine will suck in however much coolant it needs from that. it might get hot for about 20 seconds or so, but when the thermostat opens, it'll cool right down. burping works too tho.

5.0stanger

You just have to be carful to not trap that air in the intake...just fill it up and let it run with the cap off till it get warm(top hose) Then put the cap on. I like to pull the coolant hose off the throttle bodyand fill it up, helps get the air out also.

foxontheprowl

just a sugesstion for installation, run a piece of string down thru the t-stat housing and thru part of the t-stat then back up thru the housing to make a loop. this will let you hold the t-stat in place in its little recess on the housing, making the install MUCH easier. then when you're done tightening the bolts down you can just pull the string thru and out.

Jaggezz

Lube up your hoses with grease before putting them back on (mostly the one from the water pump to the thermostat). It makes it so much easier.

And get some new hose clamps. The factory ones are ****.