7 replies to this topic

[Jordie]

Anyone got any tips and tricks to get thermostat off engine?

I need to replace the gasket on mine, cant get it off and cant get the one off on the spare engine either, so i am looking for any tips to get it off. Cheers.

[philster]

are we talking about the thermostat housing or the thermostat itself?, i don't normally have any trouble with the stat just stick a screwdriver in it and wedge it out. If its the housing does it use bolts or studs with nuts? If it uses studs then the same applys, remove the studs completely and wedge out with a screwdriver. If it uses nuts then lots of wd40 down the threads, stick a screwdriver between the head and the housing and gently and evenly ease it off (don't force it you may break a stud).

[Jordie]

its nuts. I will try that later. The old engine has 3 studs in, new one has 2, shud i take one out of old engine and put it in new one if they will come free.

[Dan]

Very often the housing gets so frozen in place that the only answer is to cut it apart to get it off. A new one only costs about a fiver, even from Rover dealers.
Cut carefully down the sides to seperate the three lobes that the studs are through from the main body. Be careful not to damage the gasket face on the head, or lever the studs around because you may damage the threads in the head. With the bulk of the casting out of the way you can remove the 'stat and turn out the studs/bolt with the remains of the housing. This is caused by electrolytic corrosion between the aluminium housing and the mild steel studs/bolts. To cure it once and for all replace them with stainless ones from Stainless Auto Components or Minispares. It definitely needs all three fixings.

[miniman5]

WOW! i think ile open mine every 6 months or some thing and give it a good clean i dotn want mine not comming off!! :nugget:

[mayfairman]

:erm:
Good advice there about plenty of wd40 on studs or nuts before hand as i can speak from practical experiance of siezed studs. I went around each stud in turn and just forced them untill they seemed to give and were finger loose and guess what i had succesfully sheared the heads off each stud you can imagine the rest ,so to stop your nuts from seizing solid either get the stainless ones which look shiney as well or plenty of copper grease on the thread.
:nugget:

[dklawson]

An Australian friend of mine convinced me to replace the studs with stainless steel bolts (threads and body still covered in anti-seize... what you're calling copper grease).

I've removed frozen t-stat housings using a very sharp chisel between the head and housing. Soak everything in penetrating oil then aim the chisel so the cutting edge can NOT cut the head... only the housing. A few sharp blows around the perimeter will either remove or shatter it. If it removes the housing intact, lap its mounting surface flat using a piece of coarse abrasive paper taped down to a piece of window glass. Be sure to clean out the corrosion from its mounting holes if you re-use the old part.

[Ali]

I just had to cut mine up too! Did exactly as Dan has described, very easy.
The problem doesn't stem from the threads in the head, they won't be seized. As allready mentioned, it's the mild steel/alu combination that seizes solid.

...and don't waste your time with WD40. It's NOT a releasing agent. Get yourself some Plusgas. It's about the same price, probably from the same place, but it actually works :grin: