Getting at the thermostat housing bolts to change thermostat

it's connected to throttle body you have to remove it to change thermostat V6 3.3

Remove the air cleaner duct, the radiator hose the exhaust crossover pipe, the two bolts on the housing remove housing and the thermostat note how thermostat is in replace the same way, install in reverse order and fill with coolant. Let run till bubbles no longer come out then top off coolant.

you will find the thermostat in the housing where the top radiator hose connects to the engine
1, remove the top radiator hose from the engine
2. undo the bolts holding the housing together ( be careful not to break them off )
3. remove the old thermostat
4. clean both surfaces of housing with a suitable scraper or sand paper
5. fit new thermostat & new gasket
6. put housing together, put the bolts back in (do not over tighten)
7. replace top radiator hose & tighten clamp
8. refill with water or coolant
9. start engine & run to normal operating temperature & check for leaks.....hop-e this helps.......cheers.

Find the thermostat on all vehicles like this:

The engine end of the upper radiator hose goes over a pipe stub, or nipple, and then has a hose clamp tightened around it to hold it on that part. That part is a housing, bolted to the engine, and the thermostat is under that housing.

Only 2 bolts holding it on. Not exactly a fun thing to do. Just take your time and remove anything thats in your way.. Try not to take the exhaust off however. If you break bolts on the exhaust, you have a whole new can of worms. 1 more thing,,,, try to tighten the bolt first before loosening

follow your top radiator hose to top of the engine, where it hooks up with a hose clamp. under that metal housing is your thermostat! usually 2 or 3 bolts you remove , then lift off the metal housing and take out your old thermostat and remove the old gasket with a razor blade.. install your new thermostat and gasket and away you go!! richie

Follow the radiator hoses from the radiator to the block. Check the upper radiator hose first. At the end of one of these hoses will be a housing to which the hose is connected. The housing is bolted to the block. The thermostat is in that housing.


Remove termostat housing bolts. Note orientation of old thermostat. Clean gasket material off housing and block. Put on new gasket, install thermostat. Replace housing, etc.

You may have to disconnect/remove other parts to get to the housing botls, maybe not.

patience , and a 13 MM wrench , you gotta get your arms in there deep , that lower bolt does not need to come all the way off , the thermostat housing has a slot at the bottom for easier access , loosen it about 3.4 of the way and you can get the housing out , experience says a premium thermostat will give you grief trying to reinstall , get a regular duty thermostat .reverse procedure.

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Drain the cooling system.

CAUTIONWhendraining the coolant, keep in mind that cats and dogs are attracted byethylene glycol antifreeze, and are quite likely to drink any that isleft in an uncovered container or in puddles on the ground. This willprove fatal in sufficient quantity. Always drain the coolant into asealable container. Coolant should be reused unless it is contaminatedor several years old.

1. Some models require you to remove the air cleaner assembly from the throttle body.
2. Somemodels with cruise control have a vacuum modulator attached to thethermostat housing with a bracket. It your vehicle is equipped as such,remove the bracket from the housing.
3. On the 4-cylinder engines,unbolt the water outlet from the thermostat housing, remove the outletfrom the housing and lift the thermostat out of the housing. On allother models, unbolt the water outlet from the intake manifold, removethe outlet and lift the thermostat out of the manifold.

Fig. 1: Loosen the clamp securing the hose to the thermostat housing Fig. 2: Remove the bolts securing the housing, then pull it away Fig. 3: Make a note as to which end of the thermostat fits in the housingTo install:

1. Clean both of the mating surfaces and run a 1/8 in. (3mm) bead of R.T.V. (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) sealer in the groove of the water outlet.

Fig. 4: Make sure both of the mating surfaces are free of any old gasket material

1. Installthe thermostat (spring towards engine) and bolt the water outlet intoplace while the R.T.V. sealer is still wet. Tighten the bolts 17-21 ft.lbs. (23-28 Nm) on all but the 2.2L engine. Other engines tighten to 89inch lbs. (10 Nm).
2. The remainder of the installation is thereverse of removal. Fill the cooling system, start the engine and topoff. Check for leaks after the car is started and correct as required.