And... don't think you are the FIRST to break off that little pipe connection! I am sure most of us have been there! With todays plastic cooling systems, "extreme care" are the watchwords when working with tabs, nipples, connections, etc.

 

For some reason I though there was an option to be a paying member on this site. I must be thinking of some other forum.
The parts arrive on Monday(fingers crossed) still haven't located a 8mm or 5/16 crowsfoot on this island so I might elect to break the thermostat housing carefully to not loose any pieces that might come back to haunt me later once shes buttoned up.
To anyone that has smashed the plastic housing to get to the back bolts easier....is there a specific place I should be placing the chisel before I bang it with a hammer to avoid pieces flying everywhere I dont want them?

Glad to know I wasn't the only one to break off that outlet port Chopr. I have not been able to drive the cat for days and it is starting to mess with my chi.

 

Try this -


I used this wrench w/o having to break the old thermostat housing apart - remember, breaking the housing apart will help you get the bolts off but you have to get them tightened....

 

Good point. I do have to get them tightened afterwards! How could I forget. haha I wanted to get this job done asap and amazon shipping next day air for that wrench is $36!!! The slower shipping options would take 2 weeks to get me that wrench. The price you pay to live in hawaii!
Thanks abonano

 

If you have or can borrow an angle grinder or other cutoff wheel you can open a box end, but you still have to bend it, which requires a lot of heat, like oxy- acetylene.
What I did was use socket head screws and tighten with a ball end socket wrench, a little easier to find. Looks like allen head wrench only ball shaped. It's still not easy.
As far as breaking off old housing goes, stuff a rag in after removing thermostat and break top off using cold chisel and hammer, then push rag down and chip away. The pieces will not get past the rag.

 

Another thought I have read on the forum... once you get the bolts off - use 2 of the 3 bolts from the housing cap that bolts the thermostat in place - they are the same size, just shorter - use those for the 2 back bolts in the thermostat housing base - also, take a grinder and cut a slot into the 4 bolts and tighten them up with a large flat blade screwdriver

 

thanks guys! all great advice. I thank you for your time!

 

It's important to make sure the Cylinder Block area where the Thermostat Housing sits (arrowed in red) is clean before fitting the replacement. Remember it's aluminium so use something soft like a maxed out credit card to scrape it without scratching.



Also tighten the four Thermostat Housing fixing bolts evenly. The Rubber Seal in the groove in the base of Thermostat Housing (arrowed in red) compresses as the bolts are tightened to form a water tight seal.



It doesn't need massive force to achieve this and over tightening risks shearing the bolt or stripping the thread in the Cylinder Block. The correct figure is 8-10 Nm.

Graham

 

Graham makes great points - tighten those bolts evenly (in a criss-cross pattern) to only 6ft lbs (8Nm conversion)

 

Thanks Graham. The last thing I need is a sheared bolt or a stripped thread. I will be gentle on the kitten
Much appreciated

 

So I was able to get the new t-stat aluminum housing installed without too much trouble but I did not have the correct size allen head wrench to torque the housing cap on but I opted to try a channel lock wrench and tighten it as much as I could but when I turned car on coolant was gushing from the cap so I guess I wasnt able to get a proper seal on the o-ring in there.
Anyone know what size allen wrench fits on the top of the housing to tighten the cap? The cap says torque to 9nm but I feel like I tightened the cap that much with the channel lock... I guess not since niagra falls came out of the cap upon start up
All that work and still cant drive her yet!

 

The Cap should screw onto the Thermostat Housing by hand very easily without any need to force it. The watertight seal is created by the rubber gasket being compressed inside the Cap against the top lip of the Housing body.

I can grip these by hand to tighten them sufficiently without needing to use an Allen Key.

Are the threads on the Housing body and the Cap OK?

Graham

 

Not a brilliant Thermostat Housing pic but adequate to show the three seals:



The seal on the left goes in the base of the Thermostat Housing. The seal on the right goes around the Thermostat. You can see the black seal already fitted inside the Cap. You do have a seal inside the Cap?

Graham

 

When you do replace it, go with the Aluminum one. Don't waste time with the plastic. I replaced mine when I did the water pump and thermostat. Once done, it will last forever. The metal ones won't crack, snap off or warp like the OEM ones do.

Best of luck.

 

The smallest of the seals goes inside the cap - it doesn't sit squarely in the cap - you need a 3/8" or 1/2" drive - 10mm Hex Key (this way you can attach to your torque wrench) - torque to 9Nm as you mentioned is correct. (Trying to tighten up that cap with channel locks wasn't a great idea - you could have compromised the round shape of the cap but.... let's think positive: ensure the O-Ring seal is in the cap and tighten down to 9Nm using a 10mm kex drive key.

 

The OP did replace with the aluminum upgraded housing... dead on with the plastic version... they stink!

 

thanks a lot everyone! I was able to fix the little leak with a bigger o ring purchased from hardware store. I think I overtightened the cap the first time compromising the original seal.
I got a thicker o ring and now no leaks.
Took it for a 30 minute drive with no problems so I believe it to be a job complete.
Couldn't and wouldn't have done it without everyone!
Be sure to let me know if you guys come to Oahu, Hawaii. Drinks on me at the stip club with the jag parked out front at the valet

 

Success.
Following a coolant flush and refill, run the engine up to normal operating temperature and turn the heater to MAX. This circulates the coolant through the entire system.

Allow the engine to cool completely and check the coolant level in the Expansion Tank. It may have dropped slightly if there was any air trapped as the system was refilled.

If necessary, top up to the base of the Expansion Tank filler neck.

Graham

 

That's great news! Good deal!

 

Well I decided to floor it for the first time since the new housing and t stat to pass a few cars on the way to town and I got a low coolant light after completing the pass.
I pulled over, checked coolant and it lost about 2 inches in the expansion tank and I could see a few drops below the housing cap.... ahhhhh. I filled it up again and started car with no visible leaks. Drove for another hour and then back home another hour with no loss of coolant.
Mind you this is with a much thicker o ring that I put in there since the provided one was causing a visible leak at idle.
I am ordering a new housing cap and hopefully that fixes this leak once and for all.