What are symptoms of a failed thermostat?

 

Failed as in how?

Stuck open: temp gauge shows cold.
Stuck closed: car overheats.

 

Stuck open..Car barely gets above 100 Degrees as im driving.

 

That...would be stuck open alright.

 

Do replace it soon. Heat in the car will be almost non-existant, and the car will run richer.

 

My thermostat was failing itermittently, some days okay, others boiling over after a few blocks.

Sooo, I decided to replace it today and I snapped a bolt head off of the thermostat housing. No amount of drilling the bolt would allow me to use an "easy out" to get it out. I broke two drill bits trying to get into the bolt.

It looks like I may have to make a boneyard run to get a used intake and replace it. For now I have replace the thermostat and used a fair amount of gasket sealer and the remaining bolt to clamp it down. I'll fire it up tomorrow and see if it holds.

Stay tuned.


Jim.

 

JB Weld is your friend!

 

Hmm, JB Weld.

I will still need a used intake though, if it holds.

I fired up the TA this morning and anti-freeze blew right out of the gasket.

If I use JB Weld, how will I create enough pressure on the thermostat housing while building up a weld on the bolt/hole in order to create a good seal? A pointed weight?


Jim.
Riding the city bus if the Thunderbird stops flying.

 

Even if you think your thermostat is messed up you may as well change it, they are cheep but important.

 

:werd:

 

I agree that changing it is important, but now I have a thermostat housing that I can't seal.

Jim.

 

Update.

JB Weld? How about JB "Wont".

Tried to "weld" the housing in place to hold for a few days, but even after 24 hrs of curing the weld the gasket blew out again. Just not enought pressure provided by the weld to hold it in place.

I can't beleive my car is "down" due to one friggin' 14 mm bolt.

Unbelieveable.

Jim.

 

About your broken bolt: I've used this trick quite a few times to get stripped bolts out. Take a Dremel and cut a straight line on the top of the bolt. Then, use a good flat screwdriver to turn it out. Sometimes some bolts require a lot of torque to get out, so I just put a pair of robo-grips or channel-locks on the screwdriver and it comes right out. Could be worth a shot.

 

I might give it a try later on tomorrow.

Just looking at my previous post, my spelling is horrible.

Jim.