94 cutlass thermostat replace trouble

[dexter2500]

im having a real hard time on my daughters 94 olds cutlass supreme ..it has a 3.1 motor and i cant get the thermostat out ..its in a real tough spot to try and wiggle out the housing..got the bolts out ..anyone got any better ways id appreciate the help...wasnt getting any hot air for heat..never overheated that i know of ...someone said thermo...ive done a couple b4 but this one is a bitch...unless im missin something..thks...

[BNaylor]

The thermostat replacement on the GM 3.1/3.4L engine is a PITA. Sometimes it helps to remove the throttle body and any heat shield on the exhaust crossover pipe.

Have you checked (feel) the input and outputs to the heater core coming from and to the water pump?

[dexter2500]

yup your right it was a bitch and even worse it wasnt the problem...smack me in head with a hammer..ok so now what...flush my heater core?....the top heater hose is cold ...bottom one feels warm...could it be water pump or just flushing?..back to square one

[BNaylor]

I would try flushing the heater core first that way you can check for flow and make sure the inside of the core doesn't have blockage. Good luck.

[dexter2500]

i flushed the heater core out tonight ..all seemed to flow good...now ..is the water pump replace a tough one?

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by dexter2500

i flushed the heater core out tonight ..all seemed to flow good...now ..is the water pump replace a tough one?

The water pump replacement on a 3.1L is easier than on alot of other GM engines. I guess the noise was trying to tell you something but it looks like you are getting there. Good luck.

See this tech link:
Click here

[dexter2500]

ok i put a new water pump om today and within a minute it was blowing white smoke out the tailpipe and boiling water in my resevoir..head gasket right?..my question is before i put the new pump on i was driving for 20 miles and it didnt blow any smoke or overheat and the car has lots of power even now runs great how can i be sure what it wrong?..thks

[caddyman379]

you can do a compression check on the cylinders, maybe take out each plug and see if any of them have coolant on them. just out of curosity, after you installed the water pump during the intial startup afterwards, did you leave the radiator cap off so the air could expel?

[xeroinfinity]

If the air wasnt purged it will over heat,
because a water pump doesnt pump air very well.