Thermostat replacement

[Wayne's 88 GT]

I'll be tackling replacing my thermostat in the GT today.......before I get started is there anything I need to lookout for before I end up breaking something?

I've got a stock replacement Motorcraft T stat, gasket and coolant......and I'm off to get a recovery tub as I have nothing here to drain the old coolant into. I'll be checking back here while I'm in process and hopefully after this is done I'll have heat in the car!!!!!!

Thanks in advance for any input or comments!

[bonesgt]

Little trick i've seen a few do is tie a piece of string to the T-stat, pull it tight as you re-install the housing. This keeps it from slipping down on you. Once you have it bolted back, just cut the string and pull it out. Also DON'T over tighten the bolts, or you will crack the housing!!

[Silver91Hatch]

Instead of the string, I clean the housing mating surface and install the t-stat, apply a small amount of RTV sealer on the housing side of the gasket and install it onto the housing. Let it dry and then there is no way the t-stat will slip down. Apply a small amount of sealer to the other side of the gasket and install it back onto the intake, agian don't over tighten the bolts, its only aluminum.

[Wayne's 88 GT]

Thanks for the advice, now off to replace it.....

[Notch93]

Instead of the string, I clean the housing mating surface and install the t-stat, apply a small amount of RTV sealer on the housing side of the gasket and install it onto the housing. Let it dry and then there is no way the t-stat will slip down. Apply a small amount of sealer to the other side of the gasket and install it back onto the intake, agian don't over tighten the bolts, its only aluminum.

X2 :yes1:

[Wayne's 88 GT]

almost have the housing off, just that one pesky bolt clostest to the dist and water pump is taunting me, wishing now I had purchased that set of swivel sockets I was looking at 2 weeks ago.........:angry:

[Silver91Hatch]

Go buy a cheap wrench and cut it short to about 4", break it loose with the big wrench and use the short wrench to get it the rest of the way out.

[Wayne's 88 GT]

Silver, thanks for the info......however I already went to Northern tool and bought a cheap set of swivel sockets.....loosened the dist (marked it first) and then fought with the bolt till I got it loose with a rachet wrench, backed it off with my hand and poof its off..........thermostat was in car and it fell out. I will post pics of it here in a lil while

[Quinn]

i got mine off with a long extension and socket, but it was a "biscuit":lol1: getting it out

[Silver91Hatch]

Don't you just love Ford enginneering??? At least you don't need 4 people to set the timing on your car.

[Wayne's 88 GT]

Ok now with the proper thermostat the engine temps are good......still really no heat from heater. As much as I hate to think.......I figure I've got a plugged heater core. I'm going to attempt to flush it out soon....can't wait to see what i run into with that.

Here is a couple of pics.....thermostat pics came out blurry

http://southeasternfoxbodies.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=157&pictureid=3462

Here is a pic or two of my helpers.........http://southeasternfoxbodies.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=157&pictureid=3461

http://southeasternfoxbodies.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=157&pictureid=3459

now you know why it takes me soo long to do anything on the car.......but I wouldn't trade them for the world!

[Notch93]

Wayne, what did you put in a stock 195 T-Stat? Have you looked to see if the blend door is closing all the way?

[Silver91Hatch]

Remove the 2 heater core lines, cut a cheap garden hose and install in onto the heater core pipe install the clamp and turn the water on. Its either going to do 1 of 2 things. Its going to go(clean out) or blow(Clean you floorboards)!!! I have had good luck with flushing the Taurus heater cores, but they always clog back up in 3-4 months.

[93fakesnake]

Wayne good luck with the hearter core. And on the two helpers I have the same two helpers at my house too and they arent afraid to get into anything

[nastynotchback1]

with the car at full operating temps check both heater core hoses.if one is noticeably hotter than the other your core is blocked.if they are the same the core is not blocked

[Wayne's 88 GT]

Wayne, what did you put in a stock 195 T-Stat? Have you looked to see if the blend door is closing all the way?

Yes I installed a oem thermostat........will check the blend door this weekend when I have time in the daylight to check.....

[Wayne's 88 GT]

When I was having my oil changed last week they noticed a small coolant leak on the pass side of the engine......low and behold I have a leak at the heater core hoses to the coolant pipe........so todays project is to fix this leak and ****keeping my fingers crossed**** maybe just maybe I will have some heat!!..........just wish they would make them easier to get to .........darn engineers!!:angry:

[crumbie]

if that is the problem then consider yourself lucky. LOL. replacing the heater core is FTL!!!!!!

[Wayne's 88 GT]

Well.......I'll post up pics later......right now I've got 2 new hoses for the HC installed, about to put the upper intake back on.....the bigger of the 2 hoses the previous owner used 2 elbow hoses and a fitting in between where a one piece hose is supposed to go!....wish me luck!!

[Sphinxmunkey]

if that is the problem then consider yourself lucky. LOL. replacing the heater core is FTL!!!!!!

For real, mines been leaking since I got it but I'd rather not worry about it... least not until I get real motivated, or sell the body for another coupe roller.

[Wayne's 88 GT]

with the car at full operating temps check both heater core hoses.if one is noticeably hotter than the other your core is blocked.if they are the same the core is not blocked

Well I hate to say it but I think the heater core is blocked. Now the hoses I changed today needed replacement, but after changing them and refilling the antifreeze.......I got it up to operating temp and one hose is blazing hot and the other hose is warm but not blazing hot.................:angry:

[Silver91Hatch]

Well you can try flushing it, but sometimes they burst then you get to block it off.

[Wayne's 88 GT]

Well you can try flushing it, but sometimes they burst then you get to block it off.

I don't know if I want to go to the trouble of flushing it....my luck and it would start leaking. I may just wait until Spring to change the heater core......I mainly today wanted to stop this coolant leak at the coolant pipe and if it happened to fix the heat then that would have been great. Luckily the ride to and from work isnt that bad w/o heat.....just as long as it doesn't get below 32. I also may let one of my techs check into it and see whats going on......

[crumbie]

don't wait till spring when it warms up - go ahead and fix her up now. there are quite a few of us local that have swapped one so we could prolly have it done in one afternoon.

and i agree about the flush - might work but you might end up with a mess of antifreeze in your floorboard.

[Silver91Hatch]

I don't know if I want to go to the trouble of flushing it....my luck and it would start leaking. I may just wait until Spring to change the heater core......I mainly today wanted to stop this coolant leak at the coolant pipe and if it happened to fix the heat then that would have been great. Luckily the ride to and from work isnt that bad w/o heat.....just as long as it doesn't get below 32. I also may let one of my techs check into it and see whats going on......

Thanking of this its quite funny. My service manager has a bad heater core in his car but I will be d@mned if I change it, he is a dick all the time, giving me the crap work, then the icing on the cake. I rebuilt the tranny in his wife's contour on work time and he never cut a ticket, just a "thanks pal" and that was it. No 22 hrs, not even a $20 thrown my way AT LEAST!!

[Wayne's 88 GT]

don't wait till spring when it warms up - go ahead and fix her up now. there are quite a few of us local that have swapped one so we could prolly have it done in one afternoon.

and i agree about the flush - might work but you might end up with a mess of antifreeze in your floorboard.

Have to see how things go when I get my commish check on the 15th......the GT is in need of front brake pads and rotors......gotta be able to stop safely and in a timely manner............i dunno we'll see what happens..