Dodge: thermostat, gasket material, radiator hose

Question
im tryin to save money and tune up my truck my self. i have changed the plugs and the dist cap  but i need to know where the thermostat is on my 2000 dakota  2x2 3.9 liter.. please can u help me or give me some advise on what to do..

thanks cathy

Answer
The thermostat should be on the front of the engine,on the top side held on by 2 bolts and has a radiator hose running to it.It is fairly easy to change,just drain the coolant(not when HOT)from the radiator,remove hose and the bolts,remove the thermostat and replace.The bolts need to be torqued so i would recommend getting a Haynes repair manual for your truck to get the torque specifications.Also if the thermostat housing has any gasket material on it be sure to remove all of the old material before reinstalling,so the new one will seat properly.It might come with an o-ring type gasket if it does you will not have to clean any gasket material.RamMan