mr cribb
US Army Retired
- Joined
- December 16, 2010
- Messages
- 2,343
- Reaction score
- 85
- City, State
- Naylor, MO
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 98 Z71, 89 stepside
The following pictures are on a 1992 Explorer, build date of 12/91.... your belt tensioner may or may not be in the exact same location from a following comment I received below.
I looked for a how to on here and really didn't find anything comprehensive, so here is my how to write up. I did find bits and pieces, but when I searched I noticed a lot of confusion still lingering about. The only part I found was the info on how to tell if the thermostat was stuck shut.
How it came to be that I needed a thermostat: on 10-31-11 my temp gauge was almost pegged on the 'NORMAL' it was on the L of it. My truck doesn't run that hot ever. It was always on the R. Well my truck would only cool down by the cold air rushing through the radiator, and as soon as I was stopped it would spike back up again. THIS IS A STUCK THERMOSTAT. Here is what you need:
Thermostat (pictured is a 180* factory is 195*, I opted for the lower temp because it isn't overly cold in the winters here)
and an O-ring gasket:
DO NOT USE ANY GASKET MAKER.... it will cause issues later on (this is the big thing I found while searching) EDIT: Gasket maker instructions are noted in a comment below if you decide to use it.
Now after you remove the intake tube you should see this:
You DON'T HAVE TO remove the belt tensioner assembly but I found it to be easier for me to access the 3rd water neck bolt. (If you choose this route it is a 17mm socket to remove the bolts, to get the bottom bolt you will have to move the tensioner to the side with a breaker bar and 16mm socket) Here is what it looks like removed:
The 3 water neck bolts are 10mm. Have something to catch the antifreeze when it pours out. There is a pin on the thermostat, and I read somewhere to have this pin in the 12 o'clock position so I did this. Be careful during assembly to not over tighten the bolts as they could become stripped. I didn't use any blue thread locker on the bolts during my assembly but you could.
After the installation of my 180* thermostat, my temperature gauge reads on the O of 'NORMAL' then cools to the N. The heat is just as hot as it was with the 195* to me, but then again I kept my temp turned down in the truck with the old thermostat.
I looked for a how to on here and really didn't find anything comprehensive, so here is my how to write up. I did find bits and pieces, but when I searched I noticed a lot of confusion still lingering about. The only part I found was the info on how to tell if the thermostat was stuck shut.
How it came to be that I needed a thermostat: on 10-31-11 my temp gauge was almost pegged on the 'NORMAL' it was on the L of it. My truck doesn't run that hot ever. It was always on the R. Well my truck would only cool down by the cold air rushing through the radiator, and as soon as I was stopped it would spike back up again. THIS IS A STUCK THERMOSTAT. Here is what you need:
Thermostat (pictured is a 180* factory is 195*, I opted for the lower temp because it isn't overly cold in the winters here)
and an O-ring gasket:
DO NOT USE ANY GASKET MAKER.... it will cause issues later on (this is the big thing I found while searching) EDIT: Gasket maker instructions are noted in a comment below if you decide to use it.
Now after you remove the intake tube you should see this:
You DON'T HAVE TO remove the belt tensioner assembly but I found it to be easier for me to access the 3rd water neck bolt. (If you choose this route it is a 17mm socket to remove the bolts, to get the bottom bolt you will have to move the tensioner to the side with a breaker bar and 16mm socket) Here is what it looks like removed:
The 3 water neck bolts are 10mm. Have something to catch the antifreeze when it pours out. There is a pin on the thermostat, and I read somewhere to have this pin in the 12 o'clock position so I did this. Be careful during assembly to not over tighten the bolts as they could become stripped. I didn't use any blue thread locker on the bolts during my assembly but you could.
After the installation of my 180* thermostat, my temperature gauge reads on the O of 'NORMAL' then cools to the N. The heat is just as hot as it was with the 195* to me, but then again I kept my temp turned down in the truck with the old thermostat.