Thermostat

[rs200dan]

Could someone please show me a pic with exactly where the thermostat is located on the 3sge engine

[rs200dan]

Could someone please show me a pic with exactly where the thermostat is located on the 3sge engine

anyone

[IRLRs200]

Could someone please show me a pic with exactly where the thermostat is located on the 3sge engine

anyone

No pics but this might help

Tools needed

10mm deep socket & ratchet

12mm socket

10mm spanner (get a ratcheting one TRUST ME)

Pliers (for the radiator hose clamps)

Flat bladed screwdriver

Small hands/arms (now’s the time to teach the wife or child how to do some car stuff)

Wait for car to cool thoroughly. Drain coolant from the radiator.

Once the coolant has been drained, disconnect the lower radiator hose from the radiator. This will help you maneuver the thermostat housing around in the tight area.

With the lower radiator hose free you need to locate the thermostat housing. It is at the top right hand side of the motor (looking at it standing in front of the car). It’s under various bits of wiring harness and is a bit awkward to get to.

I found the thermostat housing easier to access with both exhaust manifold heat shield’s removed. You do not HAVE to do this step but it will save you from being cut by them (ask me how I know). You will need the 12mm socket for this.

With the heat shields out of the way and lower radiator hose free from the radiator you can now concentrate your efforts on the housing itself. It is held on by 2 10mm nuts. For the top nut you will need the 10mm deep socket, the reason you need a deep socket is for reach (it will become apparent when you attempt this). The lower nut, which you have to blindly molest the bottom of the housing till you find it, requires the 10mm spanner. Your life will be made 1000 times easier if you get a 10mm spanner that ratchets.

With the nuts off (and hopefully not lost in the recesses of the engine bay somewhere) grab the flat bladed screwdriver and gently pry the housing from the block. Water will come rushing out once the housing is removed so you may want to put a bucket or a few towels under the car to catch this.

Now it gets harder. Trying to get the thermostat housing to lift over the studs it’s slotted onto. You just have to wiggle and what not till you get it off them. If you can manage enough room, get the old thermostat out of there (it may require some convincing).

The hardest part of all is getting the new thermostat to sit in the housing while you try to install everything where it went. You will be testing your dexterity every inch of the way. I found I had to reach under the housing and lift the thermostat up with a finger while I slid the housing back onto the studs (oooo that sounded far too dirty). Then you have to hold the housing there and thread the nuts back on. The lower one is the easiest to start because you can do it by hand. The upper nut you will have to use the deep socket to do. I found it easiest to use just the socket without the ratchet to start the nut and then once it’s snug continue to tighten it with the ratchet.

With the thermostat housing tightened down you can now put back in the heat shields. Once they are on and secure you can now refill the car with coolant/water. Keep a bottle of coolant/water with you on your first drive as you will probably have to top up the coolant once the car warms up. DO NOT OPEN THE RADIATOR CAP WHEN THE CAR IS HOT!!!! I cannot stress that enough as I am not responsible for any bodily or vehicular harm which may ensue. If you find that the car is over heating find a nice spot and let it cool. Once its cooled enough that you can take the radiator cap off, fill up the radiator as required.

My temps went from the notch above the halfway mark with the stock 1.1bar radiator cap and 82*C thermostat to between the half way notch and the notch below it with the TRD 1.3bar radiator cap and 71*C thermostat.

[IRLRs200]

Got this of the NZ site

it's on the 'engine end' of the lower rad hose. look for a ball-shaped thing on the end of the pipe.

2x 10mm nuts hold it in place.

it's on the far left bottom of this pic, on the end of the 'pipe' which goes into the lower rad hose.