QuestionI recently saw where you told someone that the thermostat housing is low on the block for a 3.2 or 3.5l engine. How do I get to where it is located to the radiator to replace the thermostat? I can not afford to take the car to a shop to let them replace my thermostat so I am attempting to change it myself but I can not figure out how to get to it and I do not have the book to go with the car or any diagrams of the engine or what parts to take off just to get to the thermostat.. PLEASE HELP!!!
thank you
AnswerHi Angela,
The thermostat housing is on the left side of the engine, low on the block and toward the front of that side, next to the oil filter. If you follow the lower radiator hose it will lead you directly to it
To change it:
Drain the cooling system
Lift the left front wheel and support on a stand for safety
Remove electrical plug from engine oil pressure swittch (adjacent to oil filter) and from the power steering pressure switch
Disconnect the radiator and heater hoses from the thermostat housing
Loosen bolts, remove housing and thermostat
Clean the gasket sealing surfaces. Use a new gasket
Notice that the thermostat has a bleed hole on its flange, and also note that the hole should be at 12 noon in the housing when you install it.
Put the thermostat in the housing with the hole at 12 noon, apply gasket to housing, put bolts through holes in housing. Then apply that 'package' to the engine block and tighten the bolts to 8 foot-pounds of torque.
Connect the hoses, replace the electrical plugs. Lower the vehicle.
Tighter the drain plug of the radiator.
The procedure for refilling suggests use of a special funnel which has an accessory clamp and the funnel fill opening has a septum to allow you to pour coolant into the overflow bottle and air to escape from the bottle at the same time. You don't need this funnel if you have a small clamp and also pour coolant in very slowly so air can escape. Here is how I described the process to another owner of the 3.5L engine:
The funnel (special part No. 8195) has a sidevent to release air from the pressure chamber portion of the bottle while you are filling it, and also a hose clamp to pinch off the hose that sends overflow to the rear cavity of the bottle for collection and subsequent return to the system on cooldown. The idea is to fill the pressure side and have little or no trapped air, and to have the overflow side nearly empty when you are done filling the system.
The other 'detail' involved with refilling the system after draining it or servicing the thermostat is to use the bleed valve of the engine part of the system which is located on the front upper part of the engine to allow air trapped in the system to be expelled as you add the coolant. On the 3.5 you will find that valve to be on the lower section of the intake manifold (left of center) and below the upper intake manifold. You put a 1/4" hose about 4' long on the nipple and route it out in front of the grille to a catch container, open the valve, start refilling from the pressure side of the filler bottle usind the special funnel. You keep adding coolant (and catching the overflow) until you get nothing but coolant coming out the hose which assures you that there is no more air trapped in the cooling system inside the engine. Then close the bleed valve (and remove the 1/4" hose) and continue filling via the funnel until the pressure side of the bottle is filled and to the top of the funnel. Then you remove the clip on the return line, allowing the little bit of extra in the funnel to go into the overflow chamber (the overflow chamber should not have much fluid in it). Then remove the funnel and put the pressure cap on the bottle.
So do i have to use the specialling filler funnel? Is that gonna really help?
If you can fill the pressure side of the bottle without putting air unnecessarily into the cooling system in the process, and you remember to clamp off the return hose on the pressure/overflow bottle while you are doing it, and you use the bleeder valve and collection hose to bleed air out of the system successfully as you add coolant to the bottle per the instructions, and you end up with as little air in the system as you can, and with the level in the pressure side between min and max, and there is space in the overflow container to accept any significant expansion when the system heats up, then I would say that you don't need the funnel. So let the functioning of the system when you are finished be the answer as to whether you need the filler funnel. It may make it easier to do but it probably isn't going to be absolutely necessary.
Roland
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