installing thermostat

ken800 · 06-12-2003, 10:47 PM

I don't have pix, but I'll walk you through the process.

Have distilled water and antifree on hand in case you have an accident. If you do and and you don't have these, you are stranded....

Climb under the truck. Look on the radiator on passenger side. Underneath you will find a plastic nut with a nipple on the end. Get a 3/8" piece of hose about 2 feet long and a short bucket... slide the hose on the nipple and loosen the nut a bit. The radiator will begin to drain ever so slowly... Be patient. If you open the nut too much, it will drain around the nut and get everywhere. I drained about 2/3 of a bucket of fluid and closed it up.

At the top of the radiator on the passenger side is a large hose with a gray metal clamp. follow that hose and you will find that it terminates in a metal housing that is screwed to the block with two 10mm bolts. They are LONG. Remove the nut on top of the housing. Also remove the nut on top of the black throttle plate bracket that is a nut on top of a nut with the metal sandwiched in between. Force the plate off of the bolt toward the rear of the truck...

Remove the gray clamp from the hose near the thermostat housing with a very large pair of pliers. carefully remove the hose and tilt it up so the fluid in it drains down the pipe into the radiator. This will keep you from pouring fluid all over your spark plugs on the driver side. I suggest you employ the use of a towel under it. If you want to do like I did, I removed the tube going into the radiator and lowered down and drained the fluid in it on the ground, but this is the messy way. I wanted to be damn sure I didn't get fluid on the plugs...

Remove the two bolts holding the thermostat housing. Lift the metal housing off carefully. It has a lip of about 1/4 inch that sits in the block. Be careful not to gouge it.

You will now see the top of the stock thermostat. Remove the rubber gasket carefully and note top/bottom of the gasket. Set it aside and the stock stat should lift right out. Drop the new thermostat in just like the stock one was and replace the rubber gasket. No other tapes, materials, etc. that come with aftermarket stats are used. Just the rubber OEM one. Put the metal housing back on and reverse order everything.

TRIPLE CHECK ALL HOSES AND CLAMPS BEFORE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER!

I then poured the bucket of fluid into a plastic pitcher a little at a time. I used the pither to pour the fluid into the reservoir. It will settle and you can keep pouring the fluid in. If you lost some fluid, you can add water, but be sure it is distilled.

I filled to the cold fill line and started the truck. I drove around the block and parked. They system had "burped" out some of the air and I needed to add about 1/4 gallon of distilled water. I wanted to lower the glycol mix a bit anyway, so this was good... I had to top it off one more time with a little more distilled water.

Drive around enough to get the thermostat to open (or idle if you like to sit there) and keep checking the fluid level for a couple of days to be sure...

ask if you have any questions.

Zerex has a new Ford approved glycol at pepboys in a goldish colored bottle.

Nitroman · 06-20-2003, 10:50 AM

Ken...

What's your take on the distilled water over regular H2O?

ken800 · 08-12-2003, 08:59 AM

sorry I missed this question a long time ago. Distilled water has nothing in it, no calcium, salt, etc., that can corrode or build up crust in the system. I would never add anything but distilled water, even though some mfrs. of antifreeze say they neutralize regular "tap" water. It's only about 85 cents a gallon and good peace of mind.

Ken

mrparker97 · 11-19-2007, 03:45 PM

About how long does it take to switch out the thermostat?

bgstew6 · 11-19-2007, 05:55 PM

maybe 30 min

Harley#356 · 11-19-2007, 07:03 PM

wow, old thread!

tstat is pretty easy. as stew said probably 30 mins tops the 1st time, after that maybe 15

mrparker97 · 11-19-2007, 10:52 PM

Thanks fellas, just trying to take care of a few things that I've been needing to do since I got back from OEF and hopefully can make time to do it before I go to SERE school.

06-12-2003, 10:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
ken800 Maximus Horsepowerus Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Houston, tx Posts: 1,858 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	installing thermostat I don't have pix, but I'll walk you through the process. Have distilled water and antifree on hand in case you have an accident. If you do and and you don't have these, you are stranded.... Climb under the truck. Look on the radiator on passenger side. Underneath you will find a plastic nut with a nipple on the end. Get a 3/8" piece of hose about 2 feet long and a short bucket... slide the hose on the nipple and loosen the nut a bit. The radiator will begin to drain ever so slowly... Be patient. If you open the nut too much, it will drain around the nut and get everywhere. I drained about 2/3 of a bucket of fluid and closed it up. At the top of the radiator on the passenger side is a large hose with a gray metal clamp. follow that hose and you will find that it terminates in a metal housing that is screwed to the block with two 10mm bolts. They are LONG. Remove the nut on top of the housing. Also remove the nut on top of the black throttle plate bracket that is a nut on top of a nut with the metal sandwiched in between. Force the plate off of the bolt toward the rear of the truck... Remove the gray clamp from the hose near the thermostat housing with a very large pair of pliers. carefully remove the hose and tilt it up so the fluid in it drains down the pipe into the radiator. This will keep you from pouring fluid all over your spark plugs on the driver side. I suggest you employ the use of a towel under it. If you want to do like I did, I removed the tube going into the radiator and lowered down and drained the fluid in it on the ground, but this is the messy way. I wanted to be damn sure I didn't get fluid on the plugs... Remove the two bolts holding the thermostat housing. Lift the metal housing off carefully. It has a lip of about 1/4 inch that sits in the block. Be careful not to gouge it. You will now see the top of the stock thermostat. Remove the rubber gasket carefully and note top/bottom of the gasket. Set it aside and the stock stat should lift right out. Drop the new thermostat in just like the stock one was and replace the rubber gasket. No other tapes, materials, etc. that come with aftermarket stats are used. Just the rubber OEM one. Put the metal housing back on and reverse order everything. TRIPLE CHECK ALL HOSES AND CLAMPS BEFORE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER! I then poured the bucket of fluid into a plastic pitcher a little at a time. I used the pither to pour the fluid into the reservoir. It will settle and you can keep pouring the fluid in. If you lost some fluid, you can add water, but be sure it is distilled. I filled to the cold fill line and started the truck. I drove around the block and parked. They system had "burped" out some of the air and I needed to add about 1/4 gallon of distilled water. I wanted to lower the glycol mix a bit anyway, so this was good... I had to top it off one more time with a little more distilled water. Drive around enough to get the thermostat to open (or idle if you like to sit there) and keep checking the fluid level for a couple of days to be sure... ask if you have any questions. Zerex has a new Ford approved glycol at pepboys in a goldish colored bottle.

06-20-2003, 10:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
Nitroman Sudden Pleasure Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 109 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	Ken... What's your take on the distilled water over regular H2O? __________________ 2003 Black #322 NHTOC #17 BedRug...Oh ya!

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08-12-2003, 08:59 AM	#3 (permalink)
ken800 Maximus Horsepowerus Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Houston, tx Posts: 1,858 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	sorry I missed this question a long time ago. Distilled water has nothing in it, no calcium, salt, etc., that can corrode or build up crust in the system. I would never add anything but distilled water, even though some mfrs. of antifreeze say they neutralize regular "tap" water. It's only about 85 cents a gallon and good peace of mind. Ken

11-19-2007, 03:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
mrparker97 In Hoc Signo Vinces Join Date: May 2004 Location: Hinesville, GA Posts: 285 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	About how long does it take to switch out the thermostat?

11-19-2007, 05:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
bgstew6 ResFirma Mitescere Nescit Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 17,972 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	maybe 30 min

11-19-2007, 07:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
Harley#356 Worlds Fastest HD F150!!! Paid Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Week-Philly; Weekend-Souf Jerz Posts: 29,616 NHTOC member #: 3 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	wow, old thread! tstat is pretty easy. as stew said probably 30 mins tops the 1st time, after that maybe 15

11-19-2007, 10:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
mrparker97 In Hoc Signo Vinces Join Date: May 2004 Location: Hinesville, GA Posts: 285 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	Thanks fellas, just trying to take care of a few things that I've been needing to do since I got back from OEF and hopefully can make time to do it before I go to SERE school.