Fixes in the Field

[KingBird]

I've looked at quite a bit of this site, and I've found tips and tricks from y'all that I think are quite useful. I was thinking that we could use a place where all of these ideas are together for quick reference. If it helps one person out of a jam, it's well worth it.

I'll start.

[KingBird]

Faulty Thermostat

Let's face it, once you overheat one of these engines, they're never the same. One thermostat failing can leave you stuck for hours at a time.

Here's my solution.

While I don't always carry this stuff with me, I DO carry some extra things when I head out on a trip.

One $3 7 quart drain pan and a gallon jug of water (or two gallons if you don't have a bucket/drain pan) and a little time will have you back on the road in no time!

Start by removing the three 15mm bolts from the engine lift hook, cut the tape loose from the wire loom that is attached to it and remember the plastic push in connector holding it to the plastic wire loom cover. Remove the engine lift hook and place out of way.

I pull my fuse box cover and use it to hold bolts and tools, be careful not to mess up the sticker on the inside!

Now, you should be able to access the three 15mm bolts for the alternator. After pulling the belt, remove these three bolts, don't unplug the alternator or unhook the other wire. Lift the alternator strait up and let it lay upside down on the wire harnesses going into the ECM. Now you should be able to access the waterneck that houses the thermostat. Remove the hose clamp from the radiator hose and pull it off, here's where the drain pan is used if you have one. Be careful, the coolant will be hot!

Now, using a 10mm socket and extension, remove the bottom bolt first, don't drop it! Then, remove the top bolt making sure to carefully break the seal on the thermostat as you go, MORE HOT COOLANT!

Once you get it out, you can see two little ears hold the t-stat in the housing. While pushing on the spring, twist the ears until they are free of the housing. Be careful, spring under pressure. Now you should be able to remove the t-stat. If you do this and put everything back together, your engine won't get any hotter than 140 degrees. This is not good! Look at your t-stat, see the little hole? Using a pair of dykes (wire cutters) make two cuts intersecting with this hole. What you'll end up with is one triangular cut in the thermostat that will be 1/2" wide at its widest point. Now put everything back together and fill your radiator.

This allows enough coolant to flow so that your engine won't get dangerously hot, but restricts enough of the coolant so that your engine can reach operating temp.

Happy motoring!