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I'm prepping to replace my leaking thermostat housing with an aluminum housing and replace the coolant lines and plastic bypass piece.
For anyone that has attempted and successfully changed their thermostat housing rear bolts, I know quite a few have mentioned using an 8mm crowfoot or bending a wrench as in @Gus JaguarRepair.com post; I was wondering if a flex head 8mm wrench would work?
I'm always about getting proper tools that I can use in the future. It seems like 8mm crowfoot wrenches are few and far between, and people want $20+shipping for one piece where I can get a flexhead metric wrench set for the same price.
FYI, the 8mm. wrench is same measurement (size) as a 5/16" Std tool. I looked forever before I located the info . Google 8mm or 5/16", they are same. Several Std. inch wrenches fit their same metric counterpart. Hope this helps with cost issue... My Lugs are 22 mm or 7/8". :-)
The problem with the tool you listed is that when the bolt starts coming out you do not have enough room to remove the tool from the back bolt to do the other one.
Originally Posted by srpope80
Hello all,
I'm prepping to replace my leaking thermostat housing with an aluminum housing and replace the coolant lines and plastic bypass piece.
For anyone that has attempted and successfully changed their thermostat housing rear bolts, I know quite a few have mentioned using an 8mm crowfoot or bending a wrench as in @Gus JaguarRepair.com post; I was wondering if a flex head 8mm wrench would work?
I'm always about getting proper tools that I can use in the future. It seems like 8mm crowfoot wrenches are few and far between, and people want $20+shipping for one piece where I can get a flexhead metric wrench set for the same price.
As I recall I used 1/4" drive swivel socket. With these cars with all the small fasteners I would advise purchasing a set of swivel sockets, There are reasonable priced quality sets on Ebay. Actually breaking the damn thing sounds like a good idea.
"My preference is to break the housing with pliers, then remove the screws. For assembly I use socket head screws and a ball drive attachment."
I've done it both ways on different cars, breaking the plastic actually is a bit easier (and satisfying to break something on purpose), and to put it back together to it could be properly disassembled in the future. As always, caution and restraint should be shown to avoid unintended breakage of something else.
I took the inlet manifold off - so much easier and you can renew the hoses that sit under it at the same time.
+1
Extra work, but unless those valley hoses have been replaced recently, they will be due to start leaking soon
MUCH easier to get to the tstat tower rear bolts...
When I did mine I bent an 8mm combination wrench. I used a vice to hold the wrench and Mapp gas to heat it. Couple of raps with a hammer and done. Was a lot easier to bend than I thought it would be.If you have an old 8mm laying around give it a try.
Thermostat Housing Rear Bolts - Tools
