Dash showing engine temp is realy hot! NOW SOLVED!

That looks just like my engine...SOHC, sorry!

Iam fairly certain ,after looking at the manual, this is where the thermostat is.



Yellow dot shows it




Which means it is under the intake manifold and also means it has to be taken off. Even if you could get a spanner in there, which may be possible, you sure aint going to get the thermostat out. Anyone had experience of takeing the intake manifold off? Iam mechanicaly minded but no mechanic. Theres no way iam paying for a garage to do it. Time to get stuck in

Nobby

Yes thats it.. Just take your time and I sure you will be fine.

Wish I'd read Jo King's last thread as just been out and had a proper look and came to the conclusion that's it too.

I don't however agree that you have to remove the inlet manifold to change it.

I think if you remove the radiator and fan assembly - you have to drain the system anyway to change the thermostat and the easiest way is to drop the bottom hose of the rad - you will then be able to put your arm through the front of the car and through to remove the alternator with much more ease and then be able to put your hand through and work backwards on the thermostat housing.

You could leave the alternator on and drop it down as far as it goes but it doesn't drop far though.

I'd use a socket set with short extension bars and wobblies - look at Halfords tools for wobblies.

You'll be working blind on the bolt nearest the block and will be going by feel removing the housing and making sure it's sat right when you put it back. I expect the gasket to be a rubber "O" ring. You'll know when you look in the box at the new one.

Whatever it is, use hylomar blue gasket sealant on it. It will lubricate rubber and seal any small scratches on the housing that might otherwise weep. Lubricating the rubber stops it getting caught and being pinched. Leave it to go off before putting the coolant in - 1/2 hour or more in the cold. It forms a great seal.

Now we know where the thermostat is though, and have discovered it's a ball ache to change; it might be worth making sure that it is at fault and if not at fault leaving it the hell alone!

So with that in mind I would go back to the fan and be sure it is not what is causing all of this.

Taking the assembly off to check and finding some way to lock the thing up is alot easier than changing that thermostat. If it is the fan and you change the thermostat to find the fan was at fault and it still overheats you'll be annoyed I bet, having gone through grief changing the thermostat for potentially no reason.

Martin had a similar problem and chose to lock it up to see if it was the issue - see here:

www.bigjimny.com/index.php?option=com_ku...id=472&Itemid=75#472

If you do decide to change the thermostat. Buy a fair few 30-40mm range Jubilee clips BEFORE starting work on it and have plenty of new anti-freeze to refill it. I would use a strong mix of anti-freeze + water as the anti-freeze has corrosion inhibitors in it which help prevent things like thermostats furring up!

The clips that are on the car now are not re-usable as they have been on there years and will not apply the same pressure when re-used and WILL leak. They will also have moulded into the hose and getting them back in the same place is impossible.

Kirkynut

Thanks guys. Kirkynut thats a very complete and wise answer thanks . I will defo look in to your sugestion for doing it. Iam begining to think maybe it would be easier to take it to the garage . It comes down to the fact that if i take it appart it needs to be fixed and put back together pretty much the same day. Plus if its not the thermostat it may have to go to the garage anyway to find the fault. I also noticed in the manual it says if the air bleed hole is clogged this could cause the engine to over heat. It could be a possibility, seeing how durty the coolant was when i drained it.
In terms of the fan. When i move it there is resitance, it wont spin freely. I assume this is how it should be.

Nobby

One thing i forgot to emphasise was that this only happens after about 30-45 minutes of driving. I can go to work fine, the engine get ups the temperature and stays there. That journey takes about 15 mins. Just thought i better tell you all in case it helps

Nobby