I have a 1998 XJ8 that I need to replace the thermostat housing on. I am having difficulty accessing the two rear bolts on the housing. Does any one know of a tool combination or something that can get in there to loosen those two bolts? The only other way I see to get to the two back bolts is to remove the fuel rails along with the exhaust manifold. Am I making this more difficult than it needs to be? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Read this thread....

 

Hi
The first thread is leak from thermostat top - last posting 5/19/2010:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...tat-top-52958/

This other thread is Thermostat Housing Leak...Help! - last posting 4/21/2011
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/j...eak-help-3569/

Now you have 3 very helpful threads as sources for this problem and how to fix it.

Jim Lombardi

 

Although I did this job by making a crows foot wrench by heating a chaep open end box wrench with a torch to cherry red and bending the shank in a vise, then trimming the sides of the open end with a grinder, I would recommed the method suggested here by someone else- that is, brake the riser on the old plastic housing off with some channel lock pliers, allowing you top get to the bolts (you are going to replace the plastic one with a new metal one, right???). Then to re-assemble, use socket head cap screws in the rear positions, and a ball end socket to assemble.

 

I just finished replacing the Thermostat housing on my 98 xj8, I followed the recomdations I found in here on bending an 8mm wrench I did things a little differently as I bent it so I had the box end to use on the bolt. Also I found a screwdriver whose blade fit the open end of same wrench that gave me the leverage needed to break the bolt free then it was just a fiddly job of removing the bolts, I hope this tip might make it a little easier for the next poor guy to rebuild his cooling system.