How-To Thermostat change

Xero i need your help i was looking to see if u had a how to on changing the Thermostat cuz i wanna put the 180 degree one in but im not sure about where to drain coolant and where to put the new coolant and what kinda coolant any advice and tips would be great! and pics too if u can take it to that level lol :grinyes: :smokin:

I thought I had a tech thread on this.... I'll look ! :D
Well I couldnt find it....

Its pretty easy though..
I usually dont drain the coolant down, I just put a drain pan under the TB area and when you pop the thermostat housing it just runs into the pan. Wont loose much.

Though, thier is a drain cock on the drivers side of the Radiator on the bottom. Usually it is hopelessly stuck and breaks off.

Then remove the air intake, CAI or the air box tubing to TB and MAF.

You'll need a 13mm wrench for the bolts on the thermo housing.
Remove the top bolt, loosen the bottm one enough so the housing will lift out and up.
Though you might need to remove the bottom bolt to get the housing out without removing the heat shield on the exhuast crossover.

If you remove the bottom bolt you might start it a couple threads then try and squeeze the housing back on.
Thermo goes with spring into the engine.

On the coolant just add which ever you are using.
I use the Dex in the SE , but I use the green in the GT.
Both hav the 180 deg stat , they run much cooler!

Btw go check out the off topic, page 124(i think post 1236) ,
see the pics of the SE after I crashed this weekend :rolleyes:

Edit>>>

This was the best pic I could find at the moment..
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c242/xeroinfinity/11X17RW24/thermohousing.jpg
The line , #3, will also need disconnected. :thumbsup:

Oi! I've been looking for this! Thermo's a real bear to get at under there too!

You planning on writing out a full guide with pics like your others?

Planned on it someday :D

Its pretty easy once you get the air intake tube off.
Some people even remove the TB, but thats not realy neccessary.

Removing the crossover heat shield makes things much easier.

I've done enough of them that I can get it out and the new one in with out removing the bottom bolt or the heat shields :p

I have several unfinished things I need to get finished and posted. :disappoin
Just not enough hours in my days :D

Yep, I saw what happened to your SE, very unfortunate. Imagine it's keeping you busy. Good luck.

yo xero i read the posts on your SE i hope u fix it up real nice bro cuz u put alot of work into that bad boy and i hope that asshole who ran u off the road has to pay for it anyway i hope the best out of it and atleast your ok too.:grinyes:

If I need to replace thermostat, I would remove throttle body and the black coolant pipe running from the right top to left top in the xero's photo. It you take apart the TB, it's good time to clean the TB and valve. I guess it's pretty dirty with oil deposit. When you try to access the bolt the black pipe would make your job very tough. To loose the pipe, follow the pipe to the left, then you will see a braket. After removing this braket, you also need to remove a volt hold the pipe on the engine block. If you unplug rubber hose, this pipe can be put aside to easy access to the bolts.

If you do not have 13 mm wrench, a 3-4" long 1/2" box wrench works fine.

After you replacing job is done, you need bleed the engine as directed by xero. If you broke the bleeding screw, there is a penny fix for that.

Some 1/2" wrenches will work, some will NOT.
I have a snap on that will fit 13mm on the open end but the closed wont fit.
I have an Identicle one and its just the opposite. :screwy:


ANd that black recirculating tube can be a PITA to remove.
Those two bolts holding it to the TB are tricky and then thiers another nut behind that to remove the TB.

Also a Good time to by-pass that TB coolant line ;)

And btw Jeff that should be carbon deposits on the TB butterfly, not oil.
If you have oil then you have some problems :eek: