Exproblems
Explorer Addict
- Joined
- April 17, 2011
- Messages
- 1,684
- Reaction score
- 19
- City, State
- Orchard Park, N.Y.
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '05 Explorer XLT 4.0L
This past weekend I did a Thermostat/gasket and Antifreeze change on my 2005 Ford Explorer 4.0L (no auxillary rear heat model).
Tools needed:
1- 1/4" drive ratchet
1- 1/4" drive torque wrench set to 89 inch lbs. (do not use to remove bolts only re-tightening them))
1- 1/4" drive 6" extension (not necessary, just made reach easier)
1- 1/4 drive 8mm socket (Thermostat Housing Bolts)
1- Flat head screwdriver ( to loosen air induction tubing clamps if using the Prestone Heater hose flush kit)
1- misc tool, your preference to break seal of upper radiator hose at thermostat housing connection (I used a windshield gasket removal tool, worked great, used narrow round headed end)
1- plastic headed mallot used "gently" to tap apart seal of thermostat housing cover ( I didn't need it, came out in my hands)
1- adjustable wrench to loosen petcock nut
Parts List:
2- Gallons Of Full Strength Peak 150,000 mile Long Life Antifreeze cost was $14.99 per gal, but on sale at Advance for $10.99 plus online coupon discount, paid $6.74 per gallon after all the discounts
1- Stant OE Thermostat 195 degree Advance Auto Part # 13649 cost was $18.49- Paid $10.82 with coupon discount
1- Felpro Thermostat Gasket Advance Auto Part # 35673 cost was $2.99 paid $1.85 with coupon discount
Note: I ordered all the parts online plus a few extra items thru the Advance Auto Parts website and used coupon code A123 (still active). My total bill was for $52 for parts before tax and coupon, and I used a $20 off after a $50 purchase coupon and paid only $35 with the tax incl. for everything. Use those online coupons, they work and save you $$$$$ money!
(1) I started out by parking my truck on a slight down hill grade in my driveway, front of vehicle lower than the rear end to aid in draining the radiator/cooling system via gravity. I let the vehicle cool down for a little while.
(2) I placed a clean, 5 gallon bucket under the radiator petcock drain and opened the petcock nut (Plastic) and started the draining process. After a gallon or so drained out, I opened up the Expansion/Overflow tank cap and the fluid began draining out in a faster pace.
(3) I planned on using a Prestone Cooling System Flush Kit with a T-Adapter installed into a heater hose to flush out the heater core completely, but the heater hose on my vehicle did not have a straight enough section of hose on it to install this T-adapter. The Prestone Kit instructions said to install the T-adapter into the "firewall to engine" heater hose, but the heater hose has too many bends in it so I did not connect or use the flush kit. This heater hose is short and has section of it that is made out fo metal tubing as well. I'm sure I could have rigged it up in some way and used it, but I wasn't looking to spend a lot of time on this job. I also had to loosen the clamps that hold the air induction tubing in place between the air filter box and the throttle body and rotate the tubing section out of the way just to get at the heater hoses.
(4) I managed to drain approx: 2 3/4 gallons of coolant out of the radiator and engine. This system holds 16.3 quarts or 4.3 gallons of fluid. I then used a garden hose and flushed out the Expansion tank and radiator with clean water and drained it again till nothing more came out of the petcock drain. I now closed the petcock. Do not over tighten the nut because it is made out of plastic.
(5) At this point I removed the top radiator hose from the Thermostat housing and swung it out of the way. I then loosened up the (3) Thermostat housing nuts using a 1/4" rachet, with a 6 inch extension and a 8mm socket. I then pulled off the upper theromostat housing (also made out of plastic) cover. It came off rather easily. At this point I could see the top half of the thermostat, take a good look at what position it is in sitting in the housing and where the tubular gasket is positioned. This is where your new gasket will go. I attempted to pull the thermostat out using only my fingers and it was a little stuck in there, so with a pair of pliers, I gently grabbed on to it and used a little extra leverage and it popped out by pulling straight up on it. I wasn't worried about damaging the old thermostat since I was replacing it with a new one. I wiped off and inspected the thermostat housing cover and it's underside lip that rests on the tubular gasket and the mounting plate it sits in. It was quite clean to my surprise, not much of anything to clean off. The condition of the old coolant was surprisingly clean looking and very little if any particles were found at the bottom of the "clean" bucket I began with. No rust seen. I then installed the new thermostat (Stant 195 degree), positioning it inline with the flow of the upper radiator hose, followed by placing the new housing cover "gasket" (Felpro). Once that was in place, I replaced the thermostat housing cover plate and finger tightened the (3) 8 mm bolts that hold it down. I then used a 1/4" drive, torque wrench set to "89 inch/lbs" to finish tightening down the 3 bolts. Then I reattached the upper radiator hose to the thermostat housing cover. I reused the factory hose clamps since they appeared to be in "like new" condition.
(6) I now started filling up the radiator at the Expansion tank fill cap. I filled it with 1 3/4 gals of full strength "Peak 150,000 mile long life antifreeze" and then added another 1 gal of "Distilled water", no tap water. This brought the Expansion tank fill point up to the "full cold" level. I now started the vehicle and set the heater to hot and high fan speed and let it idle for 15 minutes or so. Run it as long as it takes to open the thermostat and you can check it by your dash temp gauge or by feeling the upper radiator hose to see if it is hot. I kept the expansion tank cap off during this process.
(7) Once the thermostat opened up, I had no heat coming out of my vents as of yet, so I figured I had some air in the lines. The coolant level in the expansion tank dropped a little as well, but not much. I started to hand squeeze the air out of the system by squeezing the upper radiator hose and I could see air bubbles popping up and out of the expansion tank. I did this for several minutes. I then shut off the vehicle and topped off the expansion tank with a little more coolant and replaced the expansion tank cap. Still no heat up to this point, so I took it for a short ride around my neighborhood and while driving, I felt hot air now coming out of my vents like it should. The engine temp gauge was perfect, right where it should be and I took it home. I figure with the system closed up and driving it around, purged out any remaining air in the system. So far no leaks and my coolant protection level is at -34 degrees below zero or what a 50/50 mix would give you. Where I live, that is about what you need. I may adjust it for more protection before winter hits here in a few months.
Hope this helps someone looking to change their radiator coolant. If I left something out, sorry.
Tools needed:
1- 1/4" drive ratchet
1- 1/4" drive torque wrench set to 89 inch lbs. (do not use to remove bolts only re-tightening them))
1- 1/4" drive 6" extension (not necessary, just made reach easier)
1- 1/4 drive 8mm socket (Thermostat Housing Bolts)
1- Flat head screwdriver ( to loosen air induction tubing clamps if using the Prestone Heater hose flush kit)
1- misc tool, your preference to break seal of upper radiator hose at thermostat housing connection (I used a windshield gasket removal tool, worked great, used narrow round headed end)
1- plastic headed mallot used "gently" to tap apart seal of thermostat housing cover ( I didn't need it, came out in my hands)
1- adjustable wrench to loosen petcock nut
Parts List:
2- Gallons Of Full Strength Peak 150,000 mile Long Life Antifreeze cost was $14.99 per gal, but on sale at Advance for $10.99 plus online coupon discount, paid $6.74 per gallon after all the discounts
1- Stant OE Thermostat 195 degree Advance Auto Part # 13649 cost was $18.49- Paid $10.82 with coupon discount
1- Felpro Thermostat Gasket Advance Auto Part # 35673 cost was $2.99 paid $1.85 with coupon discount
Note: I ordered all the parts online plus a few extra items thru the Advance Auto Parts website and used coupon code A123 (still active). My total bill was for $52 for parts before tax and coupon, and I used a $20 off after a $50 purchase coupon and paid only $35 with the tax incl. for everything. Use those online coupons, they work and save you $$$$$ money!
(1) I started out by parking my truck on a slight down hill grade in my driveway, front of vehicle lower than the rear end to aid in draining the radiator/cooling system via gravity. I let the vehicle cool down for a little while.
(2) I placed a clean, 5 gallon bucket under the radiator petcock drain and opened the petcock nut (Plastic) and started the draining process. After a gallon or so drained out, I opened up the Expansion/Overflow tank cap and the fluid began draining out in a faster pace.
(3) I planned on using a Prestone Cooling System Flush Kit with a T-Adapter installed into a heater hose to flush out the heater core completely, but the heater hose on my vehicle did not have a straight enough section of hose on it to install this T-adapter. The Prestone Kit instructions said to install the T-adapter into the "firewall to engine" heater hose, but the heater hose has too many bends in it so I did not connect or use the flush kit. This heater hose is short and has section of it that is made out fo metal tubing as well. I'm sure I could have rigged it up in some way and used it, but I wasn't looking to spend a lot of time on this job. I also had to loosen the clamps that hold the air induction tubing in place between the air filter box and the throttle body and rotate the tubing section out of the way just to get at the heater hoses.
(4) I managed to drain approx: 2 3/4 gallons of coolant out of the radiator and engine. This system holds 16.3 quarts or 4.3 gallons of fluid. I then used a garden hose and flushed out the Expansion tank and radiator with clean water and drained it again till nothing more came out of the petcock drain. I now closed the petcock. Do not over tighten the nut because it is made out of plastic.
(5) At this point I removed the top radiator hose from the Thermostat housing and swung it out of the way. I then loosened up the (3) Thermostat housing nuts using a 1/4" rachet, with a 6 inch extension and a 8mm socket. I then pulled off the upper theromostat housing (also made out of plastic) cover. It came off rather easily. At this point I could see the top half of the thermostat, take a good look at what position it is in sitting in the housing and where the tubular gasket is positioned. This is where your new gasket will go. I attempted to pull the thermostat out using only my fingers and it was a little stuck in there, so with a pair of pliers, I gently grabbed on to it and used a little extra leverage and it popped out by pulling straight up on it. I wasn't worried about damaging the old thermostat since I was replacing it with a new one. I wiped off and inspected the thermostat housing cover and it's underside lip that rests on the tubular gasket and the mounting plate it sits in. It was quite clean to my surprise, not much of anything to clean off. The condition of the old coolant was surprisingly clean looking and very little if any particles were found at the bottom of the "clean" bucket I began with. No rust seen. I then installed the new thermostat (Stant 195 degree), positioning it inline with the flow of the upper radiator hose, followed by placing the new housing cover "gasket" (Felpro). Once that was in place, I replaced the thermostat housing cover plate and finger tightened the (3) 8 mm bolts that hold it down. I then used a 1/4" drive, torque wrench set to "89 inch/lbs" to finish tightening down the 3 bolts. Then I reattached the upper radiator hose to the thermostat housing cover. I reused the factory hose clamps since they appeared to be in "like new" condition.
(6) I now started filling up the radiator at the Expansion tank fill cap. I filled it with 1 3/4 gals of full strength "Peak 150,000 mile long life antifreeze" and then added another 1 gal of "Distilled water", no tap water. This brought the Expansion tank fill point up to the "full cold" level. I now started the vehicle and set the heater to hot and high fan speed and let it idle for 15 minutes or so. Run it as long as it takes to open the thermostat and you can check it by your dash temp gauge or by feeling the upper radiator hose to see if it is hot. I kept the expansion tank cap off during this process.
(7) Once the thermostat opened up, I had no heat coming out of my vents as of yet, so I figured I had some air in the lines. The coolant level in the expansion tank dropped a little as well, but not much. I started to hand squeeze the air out of the system by squeezing the upper radiator hose and I could see air bubbles popping up and out of the expansion tank. I did this for several minutes. I then shut off the vehicle and topped off the expansion tank with a little more coolant and replaced the expansion tank cap. Still no heat up to this point, so I took it for a short ride around my neighborhood and while driving, I felt hot air now coming out of my vents like it should. The engine temp gauge was perfect, right where it should be and I took it home. I figure with the system closed up and driving it around, purged out any remaining air in the system. So far no leaks and my coolant protection level is at -34 degrees below zero or what a 50/50 mix would give you. Where I live, that is about what you need. I may adjust it for more protection before winter hits here in a few months.
Hope this helps someone looking to change their radiator coolant. If I left something out, sorry.
