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Thermostat replacement, 2004 Explorer 4wd

KasieMay

New Member
Joined
July 25, 2012
Messages
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City, State
knoxville, TN
Year, Model & Trim Level
2004 Explorer
Hi there. Brand new to this sort of thing, and this forum, so any help I can get is greatly appreciated.
I have, what I think (from research) is a bad thermostat in my 2004 Ford Explorer. I bought a new one, and the seal to go with it, hoping I could find a friend or relative to replace it , (I'm a single mom and Grad student, no where near a mechanic) but no luck. So it looks like I'm going to try to do it myself. I do my own maintenance such as oil changes, brake pads etc, but this will be my first real repair.
My question is, is this something I can do on my own, and if so any suggestions or websites to check out would be great. I tried YouTube, but I couldn't really see where they were working on the engine. Thanks again for your help.
 












Hi there. Brand new to this sort of thing, and this forum, so any help I can get is greatly appreciated.
I have, what I think (from research) is a bad thermostat in my 2004 Ford Explorer. I bought a new one, and the seal to go with it, hoping I could find a friend or relative to replace it , (I'm a single mom and Grad student, no where near a mechanic) but no luck. So it looks like I'm going to try to do it myself. I do my own maintenance such as oil changes, brake pads etc, but this will be my first real repair.
My question is, is this something I can do on my own, and if so any suggestions or websites to check out would be great. I tried YouTube, but I couldn't really see where they were working on the engine. Thanks again for your help.

One of the best things you can do to prepare yourself is head down to your auto parts store and pick up a Haynes or Chilton manual. They can be a real help when doing routine maintenance such as a thermostat.

It really shouldn't be to hard for you to do alone. Basically all you will need to do is remove the 3 bolts on the thermostat housing and remove the old thermostat and put the new one in. I believe they are 8mm bolts. Make sure you pay attention to which way the old thermostat was in. If you install the new one backwards fluid won't flow and you will have to do it again. Also make sure you use a nice bead of RTV sealant when reinstalling the cap back on. This will prevent the housing from leaking coolant.

Let us know how it goes!
 












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