thrmostat

[GT Rob]

Can they go bad and can they stay closed and can I check it by taking it out and puttingit in hot water

 

[1997gtRioRed]

yes they can stick closed. testing them is pointless since a new one is only $5-10. just buy a new one and gasket then call it a day.

 

[g36 monkey]

what Ganzey said. It's $10 for a stant which stays open when it malfunctions. much better than sticking shut.

 

[GT Rob]

The reason I ask is that its overheating after driving it for awhile it starts to over flowing through the coolant tank and the top hose is hard as a rock

 

[g36 monkey]

yea, pull off the waterneck and replace it. fairly quick and painless job. If they have a more expensive gasket, opt for it. Not sure if you have a 4.6 or 5.0, I know the paper gasket is useless on the V6, but there's a rubber one that costs a little more that doesn't leak. Worth it.

 

[GT Rob]

It's a 5.0

 

[g36 monkey]

pretty sure they have an o-ring.

 

[RichV]

Yes you can test them in hot water. I had 3 t'stats in a box and was not sure what temps they were so I put them in a pot of water, cranked up the burner, and monitored temp while watching them as they opened.

 

[GT Rob]

They have different temps ones?

 

[g36 monkey]

Yes, some will make the motor run too cool and never get up to proper operating temperature, which can result in power loss, and sometimes not having the O2 sensors kick on, limiting your gas mileage. Some say that's a myth, some argue it whole heartedly. I'm just saying what I've heard ha!

 

[GT Rob]

So just go with the regular one. I rember back in the day they would just remove it

 

[g36 monkey]

Ha, it helps you get up to temp having an actual thermostat, just go with a regular replacement if you don't have overheating issues. I'd go ahead and flush the system while I was at it. can't hurt.

 

[GT Rob]

Ok how do you abrupt your system

 

[g36 monkey]

assuming you mean flush and not abrupt, I drain all the coolant. Some say you need to use distilled water, Idk, I just run my hose through my radiator with the drain plug open until it comes out clear, then let it drain. Then I flush the heater core by putting a hose on either end (pull the hoses off the fire wall) and flushing it until it's clear. Some people pull the freeze plugs. I've put the hose on the water pump and ran till it came out of the intake clear. That's the thing, just emptying all the old coolant and funk. You can run a radiator flush through it as well if you want.

 

[GT Rob]

Sorry I meant burp the system

 

[g36 monkey]

I just run it up to temp with the cap open, and the heat on full blast (a/c set to vent, with it on the heat side with the fans all the way up) and continue to fill until it no longer belches at you.