ok... on the left you got the alt and on the right you got the ac pump... the ac lines run across the motor from the left to the right and bolt ontop of the ac pump... dont unbolt that line fitting... or youll...well not sure what would happen..just dont do it! but the pump is held down to that big braket by 4 (i think .. maybe 5) long skinny bolts... they are on the outside perimeter of the pump... unbolt those... and the hoses that run from the left to the right .. thers a holder that is bolted down that holds those lines in place...kinda like between the alt and the pump...unbolt that hold and you can take the pump (with the linds still connected) and swing it across to the pass side... then just unbolt the alt and then you should gain enough access to the tstat housing..if not theres like 7 ot 9 bolts that hold that braket onto the front of the motor... one bolt being through the pully thats between the alt and the pump..that has to come off ot... make sure you dont lose track of the bolts... its easy to unbolt them all and just leave them in whatever your taking off... ie.. unbolt the ac pump and leave the long bolts that attach it to the bracket and motor in the pump and lean it out of the away..takes the gesswork out of trying to figure out where they bolts fit back into b/c they may be diff lenghts (cant remember off the top of my head..its be a while) make sure the bolts your loosening are the ones that hold that braket on... you dnt wanna unbolt unecesary bolts if you dont ahve to... take that braket off and your golden like a shower... while your in there grind off the tab on the tstat housing..youll see it..makes it easier when you gotta change it again so you dont have to tear down that far again...

hope this helps... get your hadns ona chiltons or haynes... it displys in there what you gotta do

i bed the merrychristmas manual does the same...

 

I put a new thermostat in my truck the other day. It looks alot tougher than it is. Definently grind that stupid tab off of the thermostat housing. I didn't think it was neccesary to take anything beside the housing off of the truck. The part I found the hardest was getting the old gasket material off of the motor with a razor blade because I don't have a useful air compressor. Be sure and get a stick on gasket too that makes it alot easier.

 

thanks for the advice.. i saw on pavementsucks.com a picture by picture thing of how to change a thermostat.. but they didnt remove anything.. just the alt bracket on top that also held the air intake and also removed that clip that held the a/c lines.. so he could get extensions and run it straight down and unbolt it and pull it out.. what do you think about that? is it possible without taking off that tab??

 

When I did mine, I was going to do it that way, but decided that if the old gasket does not come off the surface cleanly, you will have a hard time getting in there to clean it up. If you don't clean it up, you could have a leak when you put it all back together. Its better to move stuff out of the way so you have good access to it for cleaning the gasket surface.

That tab will make it kinda diffiuclt to pull it out that way too, but if you get it out, you can cut the tab off so reinstall is easier.

 

I just used one of those 10 inch wobble extensions and the right size socket (13mm?) I had to use a razor blade to get the old gasket off and I got it perfect. Pretty much just take your time if everyone says it will take a 30 minutes plan on an hour. Get all of the old gasket off of the housing and the block and you should have no trouble.

 

sounds good.. im just going to try getting it out tomorrow without removing to much.. those a/c lines scare me going to the a/c compresser.. i was messing with my old truck and unbolted the a/c unit to move it out of the way and the a/c line cracked and leaked all over the place![:@]

 

Yeah break an A/C system open is bad news no matter what. I worked at my uncles automotive shop for like 2 years so I am pretty handy with a a wrench but the thermostat job is cake. Not to make light of anyone else ideas either but I have never drilled a hole in any thermostat that I have installed, I might try it next time though.