Hey All
just wondering if there is any trick to installing these things! :rant:
every damn time, the bastard falls outta the groove and i havent realised! then started teh car n it starts dripping!
driving me spastic!
both gasket surfaces have a mirror finish, so i know its not that causing the problem
ive only applied sealant to one side of the gasket, as the other is adhesive!
which side should i stick the adhesive side to? ive been sticking it to the thermostat housing, not the inlet manifold
thanks all!

changed my thermostat and housing a few weeks back.
i put rtv exhaust/theremostat gasket sealer on both sides of the gasket making sure to go around the bolt holes. I just let it sit over night to make sure the sealer set and that it didn't leak:D
not hard you should get it in the end:cool:

Park (or jack) the car on an angle so that the thermostat can rest flat in it's seat while being on a slight angle (does that make any sense??), then very gently fit the housing. I parked my TP pointing down a decent slope and never had a problem.

I dont use sealant at all, the gasket will swell slightly to seal properly, and be sure to check using a ruler that the surfaces are flat, not just clean. You will sometimes need to tighten the bolts a bit after a few days.

You're lucky the housing hasn't broken from that... they break rather easily if the thermostat falls out of the groove. When I installed my one, I installed it into the engine side rather than the housing, then put the housing on over the top. It hasn't leaked at all, although coolant does creep out of it over time...

Thanks for the replies guys! Excellent idea with jacking up the front corner of the car! Pitty i didnt think of that! what i did was used my finger to hold the thermostat in place while i tighted the bolts - seemed to stay in place!
put some gasket sealer on both sides of the gasket to prevent it from leaking
left it sitting for the rest of the day, will fill it up 2nite after i get home from work - that way, gives the sealer plenty of time to set!
time will tell if i was successful or not!
Thanks once again!

Usually best to leave it for at least a day before filling with water. That way ensures that the sealant on the inside has also set properly. Don't be too worried if it weeps slowly over time, as this seems to be fairly common. While the coolant system is drained, you might also want to inspect the radiator hoses and check the coolant adapter, which is the metal pipe that screws into the underside of the intake manifold behind the thermostat. The coolant adapter can leak a fair bit sometimes, and from experience, can drain out a fair bit of coolant.

Thanks Guys
Decided what im going to do is get a new thermostat housing, and while im at it, get all the heater hoses as well - knowing my luck, as soon as i get it all back together, the bastard will start to leak again! getting in first, so i dont loose all my coolant again!
ill give that jack trick a try - sounds like its the go! should be an all day jobbie!

flush the heater core while your at it the pick up alot of crap, my thermostat sat in the little mount no probs no leaks either

when i get time i will do a post on that
http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?p=746799#post746799

easier with a carby model

for the efi models the fuel line to the fuel rail has to be removed

the thermo goes in first with the hole to the top
there is a lip for the thermostat to sit in
you use gasket goo or stag on both sides of the gasket
with the gasket in place this hold the thermo in place

you reface the thermo housing with sandpaper and a smooth surface

then fit the bolts through housing and gasket and start threads by hand

for the efi models the fuel line to the fuel rail has to be removed



nope when i did mine a few weeks back didn't have to remove anything when i took it out :D but when i put the new thermo/housing back in i did need to bend the fuel fitting:shock: :cool: very slightly to get the botton bolt back in:P

smooth now ..now .. no bending .. .dont get lazy .you might break something:badgrin:

smooth now ..now .. no bending .. .dont get lazy .you might break something:badgrin:

I'm only talking 2-3mm's anymore and i would have not bothered for fear of breaking it. But seeing as it was sooooo close i thought 3mm won't hurt it if i take my time:P :cool: yea it's not the kind of habit i want to keep up , but now it clears:D