Hi,

working on replacing my coolant hoses this weekend. Drained the coolant and got the lower one on last night.

Was working on the heater bypass hose (short hose on water-pump), and that
sucker's a real [:@] to get on...

any suggestions?

Also, I'm thinking of replacing the short hoses that connect to the heater core...
2 go to the firewall (short) and one comes off the water-pump

any suggestions on how to get these on?

 

for the water pump by-pass hose, remove the thermostat housing and install the hose on the water pump end first, then reinstall the thermostat housing and push the hose onto the nipple after you bolt it down OR vice versa, I can't really remember which way works best. to install the other hoses, it helps if you soak the ends in hot water first to make them more flexible and you can also use a drop of liquid soap on the inside to help them slide onto the hose nipples. if push comes to shove, you can always just spit on them too!

 

okay

any suggestions on how to get that housing off without damaging it or the block?
....mine has probably never been off....

(I think I'll put a new OEM thermostat in there while I'm in there....anything to watch out for?)

do i need to put RTV sealant on the bottom of that thermostat before I
reinstall it?

 

assuming you have a 5.0 Ford engine, the thermostat is installed into the front of the intake manifold, not the block, but whatever. first drain the radiator down until the coolant level is below the thermostat level in the engine. remove the upper rad hose and position it out of the way. remove the two bolts holding the thermostat housing to the intake. take hold of the hose nipple part and slowly twist/pull it to break loose the gasket seal. if this doesn't loosen it, carefully pry between the housing and intake with a putty knife or flat bladed screwdriver until it breaks loose. don't gough the metal surfaces where the gasket seals. once it comes off, the thermostat will usually come off with it as the gasket tends to hold it into the housing. if not, remove the thermostat. use a gasket scraper or putty knife to clean all the old gasket and sealant off the mounting surface of the intake manifold being careful not to get old gasket pieces into the manifold. do the same thing with the gasket surface for the housing too. with the gasket surfaces on both pieces clean and dry, apply a thin bead of silicon gasket sealer or RTV to both pieces. let this sealer sit for about 5-10 minutes until it is tacky to the touch but not completely dry. install the thermostat into the recess in the housing making sure the temperature bulb is pointed away from the housing and into the intake opening. you do not want to put RTV on the thermostat itself, just the gasket. carefully position the gasket on the housing with the thermostat in it and press lightly on the gasket to seal it onto the housing. once the gasket is seated all the way around, you can press it down a bit harder to make sure it stays in place. make sure the area directly under the thermostat housing on the engine is clean and dry. now comes the tricky part, slowly position the housing up against the intake and insert a bolt into the easier hole to get to and finger tighten it if you can. then without letting the housing move, insert the other bolt into the other hole and tighten it loosely too. when doing this, makes sure the thermostat stay in position in the recess in the housing so that it doesn't get out where it will get caught between the two metal surfaces. if it does get out and you tighten the bolts, this will crack the housing and you will have to get a new one. once you are sure that the thermostat in not out of place, alternate between the two bolts tightening them up snugly but don't overtighten them as you could still crack the housing. once they are tight, let the thing sit and go drink a beer or other beverage of your choice as you will need one. this lets the RTV set up before you put any pressure on it installing the radiator hose. while you had the housing off, you should have inspected the hose nipple for cracks and cleaned off any gunk or hose residue from the nipple. if not, clean it off now before you install the upper hose. I always use a new worm gear type hose clamp when installing the hose. tighten the clamp securely but not so tight that the hose squeezes up through the slots in the clamp. replace the coolant you drained or use fresh coolant. with the radiator cap off, start the engine and wait for the thermostat to open and check around the housing area and under it for any signs of a leak. top off the coolant in the rad if needed and reinstall the rad cap and let the engine run until it comes up to full temp and builds pressure in the upper rad hose. check again for any signs of leakage and if there are none, you are done.