Thermostat

[matt03ga]

how do you get to and change the thermostat?
I'm planning on ordering the 180° thermostat from milzy motorsports

[angrysk8r]

IIRC all you need to remove is the intake plumbing and the throttle body, that should get you a decent shot at the bolts on the thermostat housing...if you still can't get at them you may need to remove the exhaust manifold crossover, or at least the heat shield on it.

To change the thermostat all you need to do is remove the thermostat housing and then swap out the new with the old (make sure you have the rubber gasket on it).

If you need more help my LIM/head gasket change walkthrough should give you a few pictures, step 18 is where the actual thermostat is removed

http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74080

[JAMES N SMITH]

I put my theromstat in without moving the exhaust cover IT WAS A MAJOR PAIN IN THE A$$ though you could use a extention and a 12 mm socket

[igfoxi]

I put my theromstat in without moving the exhaust cover IT WAS A MAJOR PAIN IN THE A$$ though you could use a extention and a 12 mm socket

AGREED! i still got the scars from when i changed my first one ever from my alero back in 2000 :lol:

[Big Joe]

IT WAS A MAJOR PAIN IN THE A$$ though

indeed. its sooo close to the exhaust crossover pipe. Changing the t-stat itself is easy but getting the pipe off sucks.

[matt03ga]

i talked to the guys from napa and they said that i would need to change all the sensors in the car if i installed the 180° thermostat or else it would mess up the car. is that true?

[hizzle]

the thermostat just opens at a cooler temp to allow cooler coolant to run through your engine...i dont see why you would need to change your sensors at all.

[matt03ga]

yeah thats what i thought. i didn't think there would be any problems with any of the sensors.

[stewartfn20]

i talked to the guys from napa and they said that i would need to change all the sensors in the car if i installed the 180° thermostat or else it would mess up the car. is that true?

people at parts stores are idiots and dont know what they are taking about. If you have questions come here first.

[angrysk8r]

Haha, a while ago I talked to a guy at napa and he said if I had a 180 t-stat my car would never go into closed loop :lol: what a freakin idiot! don't trust them at all, do research elsewhere and then buy what you need from the parts stores after, they hardly ever have a clue. its a major pita trying to find parts for my turbo setup, i tried nearly every store in town and only 1 person knew what a t-bolt clamp was :lol:

[Corey213]

yea, from what I looked at, the T-stat is in a hard spot. I changed the t-stat on my 1993 88 royale and it was so easy. I just took my grand am in to get the radiator flushed and told them to change the t-stat and they chaged me 151 dollars saying it was in a tough spot. I saw that but didn't think it would be that bad for mechanics.