98 Exp 4x4 Theft Recovery - could culprits overheating it have CAUSED the notorious t-stat housing to crack?

[Scryer]

Working thru insurance claim - could overheating by the thieves have instigated the tstat housing 2 crack?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Working thru insurance claim - could overheating by the thieves have instigated the tstat housing 2 crack?

welcome! sohc or ohv?

 

[Scryer]

welcome! sohc or ohv?

Thank you! I'm not sure how do I tell?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Thank you! I'm not sure how do I tell?

intake desing- do you have a pixture?

 

[joney]

Thank you! I'm not sure how do I tell?

My 98 XLT SOHC has a 'beauty cover" on top of the engine that says SOHC. Also, the letter E in the VIN. If you also have the E, you've got SOHC

 

[joney]

Working thru insurance claim - could overheating by the thieves have instigated the tstat housing 2 crack?

Do you have any other evidence of overheating?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

My 98 XLT SOHC has a 'beauty cover" on top of the engine that says SOHC. Also, the letter E in the VIN. If you also have the E, you've got SOHC

that too forgot about tjat

 

[XLTrunner]

All I know is that it doesn't take an overheated engine to cause the plastic t-stat housing to fail on a SOHC. They are perfectly capable of failing on their own!

 

[Fix4Dirt]

All I know is that it doesn't take an overheated engine to cause the plastic t-stat housing to fail on a SOHC. They are perfectly capable of failing on their own!

^^^

 

[C420sailor]

Ehhhh

Could it? Sure. Is it a definitive sign? Absolutely not

 

[Mbrooks420]

I doubt you’ll make a case for this, as it’s a very commonly failed part. If they had really overheated the engine you’d most likely have other issues like blown headgaskets or warped heads.

 

[J_C]

If it lasted ~25 years then the moment it gets stolen it cracks, then I'd say yeah, overheating probably caused it, but I don't think you can prove it unless it stored some code for overheating.

 

[Mbrooks420]

When was it stolen, how long did they have it, and when did it start leaking?

I’m assuming they stole it with the keys?

 

[Scryer]

Thank you everybody for your comments that's very helpful and by the way it is the sohc