Changing Thermostat

[yeagerjf]

Does anyone know of a link to step by step instructions to install a thermostat on a 1.6L NA?

[Zulfiqar]

dont know of any links - but here goes a step by step

tools,
allen wrenches, WD40 can, jackstands if you are on the heavier side

get under the car and remove lower coolant pipe from pump to drain rad,

once drained - get your handy WD40 and spray those little allen screws holding the elbow to the pump, then fit an allen key (5mm if I recall) and unscrew them, be very very gentle - its usually corroded and will break off from the pumpbody side if you manhandle it.

replace thermostat with new ring and button her up,

easy said than done, I can swear that the VW engineer had 8 joints per finger considering the pump location and the pipe connections

[burn_your_money]

If you have power steering you have to remove that first.

On all the cars I've ever worked on it was either 10mm or a 13mm bolts holding the elbow on, not allen.

You need to drain all the coolant. remember that when you remove the actual thermostat more coolant will be released from the engine

[Vincent Waldon]

One other trick... it's a good idea to test your new t-stat in boiling water for proper operation *prior* to installation... many many many people have found out the hard way that new ones sometimes don't work.

[dieselsnowmobile]

Also, put a shop vac to the upper rad hose that comes out the the head when putting the thermostat in.  This will put a vaccum inside the engine's cooling system and it helps hold the T-Stat in and it helps to hold the rubber gasket while you put the elbow in.  I read that someone else did it, so I tried it and it works great.  Just let the shop vac run and it will hold it in place.

[Vincent Waldon]

Also, put a shop vac to the upper rad hose that comes out the the head when putting the thermostat in.  This will put a vaccum inside the engine's cooling system and it helps hold the T-Stat in and it helps to hold the rubber gasket while you put the elbow in.  I read that someone else did it, so I tried it and it works great.  Just let the shop vac run and it will hold it in place.

This is a really really *cool* idea... you can spend quite a while under there wondering if it slipped when you put the flange back in.

Excellent tip !!

[burn_your_money]

Yes thank you, that's genius

[Zulfiqar]

Very strange to have allen screws on mine then. and the elbow is made of cast aluminum rather than the plastic everyone speaks here of.

[burn_your_money]

Aluminum was used on the MK1s, all later cars had the plastic elbows IIRC

[Vincent Waldon]

if they aren't corroded the Al ones are much better imho... the plastic type warp with heat over time and cause leaks.

I grab the Al ones from the junkyard and swap them in for the plastic version whenever I get a chance.

[Zulfiqar]

maybe it has to do with the fact that all the flanges in my engine are aluminum.

btw is a geba pump worth running - ive scored a brand new one from a post office auction for 500 Rs (more like 9 USD)

[smutts]

Simply roll the car onto it's roof. This makes thermostat installation a doddle. Or superglue works well for the less gullible.

[DonGTI]

Smutts... In absence of a shop vac I was going to hint a drop of superglue myself    then again i even use it to hold a new clutch in place so its quite a reliable way to hold stuff in place during reassembly (if not too much is applied)...

[yeagerjf]

Vacuum on the upper hose worked like a charm.  Thanks for the tip.

[dieselsnowmobile]

Yep, No Problem.  If I remember who told me or where I read that, I would give them credit.