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Where do you guys buy your thermostat?...I am changing my coolant this week. Is there particular one I need ? SNG Barrat has one for $51 and alternative product for $21...do I need the $51 one?
Also on Ebay there's a Tridon high flow thermostat from Australia ...anybody has experience with it?
FWIW, in my opinion, get the whole (plastic) assembly from the dealer (about $100). It is the 2 pipes, gasket/O-rings, thermostat and sensor already sealed. New everything. No risk to put in the thermostat the wrong way. You also get new plastic parts, the old ones are already well over 10 years old.
You can check some of the posts, the only pain point is the 2 bolts on the back of the pipe just off the block that are in a tight spot, but nothing too difficult.
While there, check the 2 radiator hoses. Also, consider replacing the hard plastic pipe from the top of the assembly to the reservoir. It gets very brittle with age. A normal coolant hose does just fine.
Also, consider replacing the hard plastic pipe from the top of the assembly to the reservoir. It gets very brittle with age. A normal coolant hose does just fine.
it is easier to get the back to bolts on the tstat housing if you remove the metal plate on the FRONT of the black plenum housing, not sure why that is there, easy to take off and reuse the gasket that prob will stay in the plenum. The back pass side of the house that bolt is the hard one. With a crows foot wrench or ratcheting wrench crows foot it comes out pretty easy just be CAREFUL to not let that bolt get away from you and roll UNDER the plenum.
I agree spend the extra money and just do the complete housing. Even though you have low miles the car is 11 years old and on these cars much of the plastic parts just did not hold up well. You are in there, do it all, if you can change oil you can do this.
the hard pipe he speaks of it plain as day running from the tstat housing to the resivor at the back drivers side of motor(has a plastic radiator cap on it). Mine broke on my 03 while I was doing my tstat housing. I just ran a coolant hose instead of finding that plastic part.
After weeks of internal meetings, the representatives in charge decided to adopt the more creative option for this assembly, and call it "WATER OUTLET PIPE". Part # AJ89486.
I just pull the trigger on the thermo housing including the thermo ...not bad $116 at parts geek...I have the 4.2L...it seems quite simple from what I read here...too bad no one did a video yet...hmmm maybe I should
The water pump job was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay easy. Just have to drop the serp belt off the WP pulley and let it sit right below it. Like 5 bolts holding it. I would suggest torquing them to spec just don't guess how much you should tighten them down. Clean up the mating surfaces before ya put it on.
If you plan on keeping the car for several more years I would bit the money bullet and do this one. this way if you have over heating problems down the road you can 99% say these things are not the issue.
As for the rad hoses I would just look at them CLOSE, if there are not bulging at the clamps, they are not blowing up larger (when hot) then normal when cold you should be good to go. The top one is easy, the lower is a dog getting to that bottom clamp if ya got meat hook hands, ha ha ha
We are just saying all this to do these maint repairs since you are in there if you are keeping the car for a while. can cut down on headaches later.
The water pump job was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay easy. Just have to drop the serp belt off the WP pulley and let it sit right below it. Like 5 bolts holding it. I would suggest torquing them to spec just don't guess how much you should tighten them down. Clean up the mating surfaces before ya put it on.
If you plan on keeping the car for several more years I would bit the money bullet and do this one. this way if you have over heating problems down the road you can 99% say these things are not the issue.
As for the rad hoses I would just look at them CLOSE, if there are not bulging at the clamps, they are not blowing up larger (when hot) then normal when cold you should be good to go. The top one is easy, the lower is a dog getting to that bottom clamp if ya got meat hook hands, ha ha ha
We are just saying all this to do these maint repairs since you are in there if you are keeping the car for a while. can cut down on headaches later.
In my opinion, this is the part you do not want. There are 4 clamps, and a hard plastic tube that gets brittle over time. I replaced mine with a section of flexible hose and 2 clamps.
If you are asking where it is in the engine compartment, it goes between the side of the coolant reservoir near the firewall, driver side, and the top of the water pipe pictured above. It is routed under the decorative engine cover.
where to buy thermostat?
