Stuck Thermostat?

twagn · 07-22-2010, 01:33 PM

Just replaced the water pump. No problem at all went great. Drained a little coolant but really didn't need to. Anyway, start it up and the low coolant light comes on and the temp gauge starts climbing fast...real fast. I think must be low on coolant since I drained some. Check the overflow tank and it's full.

Wasn't having any cooling problem before other than the water pump bearings were shot. Immediately after the repair the thermostat is now stuck?

jayson_waltz · 07-22-2010, 01:34 PM

possible you have air in the system also.

twagn · 07-22-2010, 01:39 PM

How do you get it out?

lord2heart · 07-22-2010, 01:46 PM

open the cap and let it run and rev it a little. you's see it burping the bubbles out. you'l also will need to put more water in it when it does

twagn · 07-22-2010, 03:06 PM

Thanks, I guess that's the problem, air in the system. I left the coolant tank cap off and ran the engine until it gets too hot then shut it down. It's bubbling pretty good but this may take forever. Is their a faster way of doing this?

lord2heart · 07-22-2010, 03:29 PM

nope, just keep doing that and let the thermo open up till theres no more bubbles coming out. check for leaks also

twagn · 07-23-2010, 05:35 AM

Well there is another way to bleed air from the cooling system. On a cool engine, connect one end of a three-foot long ¼ inch diameter clear plastic tube to the bleed screw (it’s near the left side of the front valve cover) and the other end to a container.

Open the bleed screw. Add coolant to the surge tank. Tighten the bleed screw when no more bubbles appear in the tubing and squeeze the upper radiator hose to make sure all remaining air is out.

Run engine until normal operating temperature is reached and add coolant as needed to the correct level. Helps when you read the repair manual a bit more carefully

twagn · 07-24-2010, 01:29 PM

Thought I'd just add a bit more in case someone does a search on this. The water pump is a piece of cake. The proper way to bleed the air from the cooling system is by using the bleeder screw and my system wouldn't bleed anything when bled the proper way.

The reason was my over flow coolant tank/surge tank whatever you want to call it (some call it a bottle?) was full and I mean full of crud. Looked like a piece of sponge or cotton balls waded together. I'm surprised it was cooling like it was with all that crap in there. Cleaned out the surge tank, filled with coolant, bled the system and all is well.

Chris2000 · 07-24-2010, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twagn

Thought I'd just add a bit more in case someone does a search on this. The water pump is a piece of cake. The proper way to bleed the air from the cooling system is by using the bleeder screw and my system wouldn't bleed anything when bled the proper way.

The reason was my over flow coolant tank/surge tank whatever you want to call it (some call it a bottle?) was full and I mean full of crud. Looked like a piece of sponge or cotton balls waded together. I'm surprised it was cooling like it was with all that crap in there. Cleaned out the surge tank, filled with coolant, bled the system and all is well.

The 3.4 has a bleeder screw. The 2.4 doesn't, so we have to burp it the way lord explained.

twagn · 07-24-2010, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris2000

The 3.4 has a bleeder screw. The 2.4 doesn't, so we have to burp it the way lord explained.

You mean it didn't occur to anyone I was talking about a 3.4