Well, I finally changed my Tstat. It was a b*tch. I had 2 1/2 sockets, one 1/4 inch drive,and the other 3/8 drive. What's weird is that the 3/8 drive socket fit on the bolts just fine, but the other one didn't. The one that didn't was the one that worked with my swivel though, so I had to go buy another swivel which was kind of hard considering I have a date tonight, I was in a hurry, and no one was home to carry me. Luckily my aunt drove by and saw my hood up and carried me. This time, I disconnected the Throttle Body, and the (Guessin EGR hose) slinky type flexible tube that goes into the side of the plenum after the throttle body. After that, it was really easy. I'm guessin the guy before me had a 160 in which might have been why I was runnin around 16 mpg's. It seems to run a little higher now with my 180, so hopefully my gas mileage will go down. I tried while I was out there, to get my catalytic convertor off so I could hollow it out, but those nuts were on there TIGHT. Any tips for getting those off (tech)?

 

Must be lonely in Texas to want help getting your nuts off LOL!
Sorry.
Best I can say it air tools.
Heat is second.
OR
Start up car, heat up exhaust, lift in air, spray penetrating oil into the nuts, let it cool and MAYBE
you'll get your nuts off
Best is air tools.
Can get loose, then tighten then go home from garage shop where this was done.

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Chat Soon,
KED85
Karl
1985 Firebird 2.8 to 3.4 swap project for Smog Happy LA, CA

 

The original thermo's temp should've been stamped on the side that faced the intake manifold... on that little copper circle...


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

If everything else fails,cut the bolts!They are easily replaced.
I still have the stock 195 stat.I'm going to replace it sometime with a 180.Wal-mart has some thermos on thier sale rack with a $1 price tag.I snatched one up and they registered for 3 bucks.Nothing wrong with 3 bucks for a thermo but it pissed me off when they have that $1 tag under them.I didn't buy it because of that!I'll spend 3 bucks elsewhere for my stat.
If/when you gut that cat I would think hard about running a pipe through it.Mine sounds great,but would sound a hellofalot better with out the echo chamber(a.k.a. gutted cat)

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Kevin S
89 RS w/2.9
modded some but not heavily


"I am just as enthusiastic about flying saucers as I always
was, but the problem is that we are in the middle of a
long, long trough. There's only so many times you can pick
over old bones. There just aren't enough new sightings. It
is not like being a philatelist - there is always something
new to say about stamps."

- Denis Plunkett, 70, a retired civil servant from Bristol
who founded the British Flying Saucer Bureau, which has
suspended its activities because of an apparent sharp
decline in the number of alien visitors to Earth.

 

My MPG's seemed to improve since I put the new stat in. I usually drive from home to college (80 miles) and my needle is on the F, now I went home to here, and it's above the F still....so....maybe I did raise my MPG's.

 

The thermostat is a huge PITA on my 3.1 maro too, perfectly fit so you can barely get anything on it. The bolts are just that tight on the cat or are they rusty? I got some rusted exhaust bolts off my 86 with PB Blaster that stuff is some amazing s#!t, the rest i just took a 1/2 drive socket set and torqued them right off ( broke them off )

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1992 RS 3.1
1985 POS (SC 2.8 CFI)