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351w Which way does the thermostat POINT!

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44K views 27 replies 9 participants last post by  chucktastic  
#1 ·
Ok this is the stupidest question but I just replace the thermostat and its still not opening right (yea could be possible bad thermostat)

But I wanta make sure its "pointed" in the right direction...

Should the "core" be pointed towards the upper radiator hose or towards the block??

Big thanks for the fast responses!
 
#3 ·
hummm then I would have had to read the box!

:brownbag :twak :twak :twak


Thanks for the fast response.....that means that when I PAID to have the thermostat replace about 4 months ago the MORONS didnt put it in right (yea Im a moron for paying to get it done too)
 
#7 ·
good deal! Changed it around.... filled her up started her up and ran her till she got warm and watched the temp gauge actually do what it was supposes to do...

hey any chance I can blame the thermostat being in backwards on my water pump leak / possible cracked timing chain cover (no more leak thanks to BARTS) ??

I called BIG 10 and they were like "really? Thats hard to belive....but if you want to come back up here we will give you a free oil change" :duh
 
#8 ·
Yeah spring towards th eblock.


Heres a good way to remember that. The spring is the part that actually opens and closes the thermostat. It shrinks with the heat and lengthens when the temp gets below the temp setting on it. So when the spring shrinks it opens the thermostat, and when it lengthens it closes it.

So you always want the spring towards the engine so its actually in the part of the water thats operating the thermostet.
 
#9 ·
Sorry Im a little long winded

ok new problem. On the way home sunday from the pits she started over heating and then "boiled" over in the drive way. Well I havent driven it since then and have flushed the system a few times since then since I wanted to make sure it was clean and I had issues with the gasket and put the thermostat in backwards.....

Well got the self stick gasket from NAPA and got some RTV(just a little used just enough to get everything to stick) and its all sealed up nice and neat. Filled with just water and about 1/2 gallon of new antifreeze. I wanted to run just water for a day or two to make sure there were no more leaks and everything else is working ok. Well took it out on about a 45-60 min drive around town and though a few neighborhoods. Even let it idle infront of the video store my wife works at for about 15 mins (no issues and temp gauge stayed down below say....the "O" in the NORMAL.... Started driving again and hit some traffic. Well then the temp gauge starts to rise. Getting closer and closer to the "red" line (yea I know I need a mechinal gauge but no $ right now) Well everytime I drove it would cool down a little and Ive noticed it was very SLUGISH off lights or pulling out into traffic....??? Drove with the floor heat on full blash but that sometimes worked sometimes not. It would go down to the "R" in normal and stay there then would go right back up. So Im leaning toward bad sensor ? And sometimes when I put the heater on it would actually get hotter (per the gauge?)

Needless to say I pulled into my parking spot and it was showing "O" in normal or lower actually, popped the hood while idling and it was ok.... Turned off the truck and it starting to fill the overflow tank till it did "overflow" WOOHOOO :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead

Ok all you truck guys out there....Name a few things I can check or do to correct this. This is/was my daily driver and yes it will get me back and forth (probably??) I dont wanta risk it since my whole drive is 60+ mph and that gets the temp up there really fast. (pull out of driveway turn onto hwy 300ft? and drive 3 miles to work)

Any help?? Thanks inadvance
 
#11 ·
ok update.....

Went out last night and hosed off the radiator and seemed to be a "little clogged with mud" hummm not sure how that got there....

Image


The damn oil/tans cooler was in the way but got all of it off I think took awhile for the water to start running clear.... Well took it for a drive after topping off the fluid and the Pwr came back and ran fine and didnt come close to over heating....Drove/idle'd for a little over 20 mins and no adverse effects.

Got up this AM and drove to work and it started acting up again. Like it wanted to over heat. (I did drive out to work last night and back during my trial run) I will check the coolent level before I leave for lunch at 10am and see if she "drank" any. The coolent does look like it MIGHT have some oil or just a little mud/rust in it, BUT the oil although WAY dark and needs to be changed (this weekend) is fine and smells like oil and is at the perfect level.

Also on the way to work I noticed it was VERY sluggish.....??? NO PWR AT ALL! I was on the floor coming off a light and only getting 2 grand on the tach....? After a while (warmed up?) it started to feel alot more responsive..?? I read on another thread that it might be a CAT issue with the lack of pwr.....

Come on guys I need some clues. :shrug
 
#12 ·
Check your Distributor. See if by chance there is water in it. Also check to make sure your plug wires are lal connected. If you have a scanner pull the codes. Ya never know what ya may find.

I drove towork today with no fluid in my master cylinder :(
 
#13 ·
ok new update...... just back from lunch... drove into "town" to go to bank and pay some bills. Temp gauge stayed down below "N" in normal and the heat is still working. So only about 14 miles round trip with some traffic idling and stop and go traffic. Seemed to run fine and the pwr issues are gone. (still doesnt feel 100% though)

Hummmm Guess I will see what happens on the way home tonight. I will have to check the distributor later tomorrow (calling for rain this afternoon/evening)

Also plan on checking the cats this weekend
 
#14 ·
Lunch? I just started work an hour ago. And it's only 8AM :(

Good to hear it's ok. Sounds like it may be a long run issue. Hope you get it figured out. I'm going to try and find a box for that Gauge tonight.
 
#18 ·
Another thing I thought of, did you make sure you burped the system, or got all of the air out of it. A trapped pocket of air could possibly be causing the overheating. Best way to do this is to pop the rad cap when it's cool, start your rig up and run it until it's up to temp. Keep filling until you stop seeing bubbles.
 
#20 ·
Ok past few days seems to be running oks other then current tranny issues but just like what was mentioned in this thread here
by Watchman its seems to be working now, getting full heat out of the heater core and the radiator is getting hot to the touch but not sure why the temp gauge is staying down around the "c" or the right below the "N" in normal.

Its a 195 deg thermostat and everyone here locally is telling me I need to switch it to a 180 or 160 even with the FL 100+ deg summer coming soon. ?? I dont think that would cause the temp gauge to do what its doing would it?

I am waiting on a mechinal temp gauge from Bronco85 that should be here any day now and see if that sheds any light on the actually temp issues...
 
#21 ·
You don't need a cooler t-stat, the ECM is designed for 195 and it won't make it more likely to overheat than putting in a 180 or 160. In really hot weather if everything is working right the only time it should get hot is if you're running the a/c and you're stopped/idling or in bad stop and go traffic. The a/c condenser is hot and you won't have enough air going through it and the radiator to keep the radiator cool. When this happens just turn off the a/c until you get moving again. I know that's when you need the a/c the most but watcha gonna do except move up here. Like Jermil01 said the problem right after replacing the t-stat was probably an air pocket in the engine coolant system. If it's still running bad after heating up and everything else is good(O2 sensor, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, timing) the TFI module might be going bad. You can take it to Auto Zone or Advance Auto and they will test it for free, it's worth a try.
 
#22 ·
Thanks RLKBOB for the imput. The a/c needs a charge anyways so not using it right now. (already been refitted by PO as an a/c shop woohoo must have a leak somewhere though)

Well drove it this afternoon (see tranny issues thread) but all was fine and dandy and the gauge stayed down below the "N" the whole time and right as I was pulling back in the freaking neighborhood the lower radiator hose springs a pinhole leak and starts spewing coolent all over the engine and buttom of hood. Thank god I was just 500 or so feet from the freaking drive way cause the temp gauge went up to the middle of the "R" and I started smelling coolent. Jumped out at that house and popped the hood and yep Nice bath of coolent! (little warm let me tell ya!)

Well guess shes getting new upper and lower hoses tonight.. woohoooo :banghead


(The Ford Bronco.....will NICKLE AND DIME YOU TO DEATH!.....but its worth it... I hope!)​
 
#24 ·
I don't think it matters with a radiator hose. I just got both hoses from Advance earlier this week and the lower wasn't $19.99 it was around $8.40 but they price matched AZ and only charged me $6.85 even though their warranty is 1 year and AZ is 3 months. Not sure which brand I got but it was the same part # you listed. I don't agree with always getting the more expensive item especially if they have the same warranty.
 
#25 ·
My 86 was having trouble a few years ago. Temp would go up sitting in traffic, especially with the A/C on (when it used to work). Converted to an electric fan from a Continental. Dual fan/dual speed. Haven't had any troubles with over heating unless I turn the fan off and forget to turn it back on again. :brownbag