Hey everyone. I'm going to change out my broken 180 thermostat back to the oem 195 temp likely this weekend and am wondering what the cleanest way of getting the job done is? Meaning, how can I take the thermostat out without gushing coolant all over the front of the engine? I know it's just going to be the coolant in the upper hose that comes out, the only way I see around it is to take the lower hose off and drain the water pump which might drain the upper hose as well? But that seems excessive. Any suggestions? Just deal with the mess? Searching on here doesn't reveal such a clean way. Thanks. Also side note, finally going to attempt to adjust the TV cable as well, even though it scares the hell out of me because I don't want to hurt the tranny in the long run. I just want later shifts at when WOT.

 

I just pulled the hose and housing. Let it spill.

 

Not much is going to spill at all if you're just doing the t-stat.


However, if you pull the block plugs and drain the radiator, you'll for sure not spill much.

 

when I changed the t-stat in my wifes truck I just put a drain pan under the radiator, popped the drain plug and caught the coolant, then when it was drained I popped the upper hose off at the radiator and emptied it out as best I could. That was a fairly clean procedure and I was able to salvage the majority of the coolant, which I had just put in, but forgot to change the failsafe t-stat which locks itself open in the event of an overheat situation. In this case the overheat happened in her truck when the radiator blew out and my dumb *** replaced the radiator and refilled it with coolant before I realized I forgot about the t-stat

 

I think I've changed the thermostat before without draining anything.

I could be wrong though, I'm very tired

 

you can reduce the mess, but not eliminate it.
drain a little out of the radiator using the drain plug on drivers side. turn 1/4 turn, pull out. only drain a quart or so to drop the level away from the top hose.

disconnect upper radiator hose from radiator, and bend the hose over from the t-stat and drain it.

put a few rags around the t-stat housing and remove the hose. let the rags catch the coolant that spills. remove t-stat and dip a few paper towels into the intake to drop the level inside the intake. wipe the t-stat housing clean and dry and apply your new gasket with a smidgen of rtv on both sides.

 

^^^^This is a good method^^^^^I might add that a wet/dry shop vaccum can also aid in cleaning up the area around the thermostat before and after the install, the tapered snout attachment works well.

 

sound advice here. you say a smidgen of rtv to both sides, are you talking around the holes for the housing bolts on both sides?

 

Any chance we can change the Thread title to something a person searching might be able to come across?

 

Absolutely! If I only knew how to though...or do you have to work your moderator magic to do that zman?