hngacurv

I just got my 160 thermostat and fan switch today. How long does it take to swap out the stat?. Do you have to remove the TB?

Gary04Z06

Took me about 10-15 minutes. Did not have to remove the throttle body, nothing to do with it. Just put some towles around the t-stat housing so coolant won't leak down on the opti.

LT-4 CE

Not very long, no more than 30 minutes. I drained a bit of coolant from the radiator and still had some coolant mess. As mentioned above, definitely put some towels around the t-stat housing to keep the coolant off the opti. It is just pop the two bolts and the housing, swith thermostats, and reverse.

CentralCoaster

Make sure you don't put the stat in backwards. It's easy to mess up, and I guess your system is reverse flow. So generic instructions that come with the stat could be misleading.

Why am I trying to help?:crazy: .... I have an L98. Oh well, just be sure to note how the stock one is installed.

hngacurv

I forgot to mention I had a 86 L98. So no opti.

90whitevette

Since hes got an L98, doesnt he have to drain the coolant out first? I thought I heard that LT's you can get away with it, but on the L98's dont you have to drain the coolant first, or at least a gallon's worth before diggin out the t-stat?

hngacurv

I hope not. I'm wanting to do this and the TB bypass at the same time though.

Lahodny

I am not sure about the LS98, but on my 1995 LT1 I found the thermostat housing to be VERY fragile. How do I know this? :bb Yes, I broke mine while tightening it. Apparently, they really do mean ONLY 7 ftlbs of torque!

Fortunately, it was fairly inexpensive to replace ($18.00).

--Larry in Las Vegas :)

Vic'89

30 minutes to change a thermostat on an L98.

I pull the TB to make it easier.

Vic

CarAteMyMoney

I did it on my old IROC and GTA in half an hour a piece w/o removing the throttle body.. if you don't mind resetting the tranny cable taking the TB off makes it alot easier

kittmaster

10 minutes at best

TA

You can do it without removing the TB, but if you take it off it definitly makes the stat easier to get to :yesnod:

TheCorvetteKid

Yeah, I'd say about 30 to 40 minutes. I've got to do it again myself (my t'stat gasket is leaking) on my '89 L98.

Drain the coolant before you start, and it certainly does help to pull the throttle body, but it isn't necessary. If you want to avoid the cursing and agravation, pull the TB. Note how the original t-stat was installed and when you install the new one, make sure it's put back in the same way (the pellet should be down, BTW). And remember the order of reinstallation too - t-stat first, then the gasket, then the housing/hold-down bolts (people sometimes put the gasket down first, then put the t-stat on top of it).

You did test the new t-stat right? If not, warm up some water in a tea kettle, drop the t-stat into a bowl, and pour the water over the t-stat. If the stat opens you're good to go. If not, then take it back to where you bought it and get another one.

Oh and once you have the t-stat housing off the car, take a pane of glass and some 120 grit sandpaper. Lay the sand paper flat on the glass and run the t-stat housing's mating surface over the paper to get it nice and flat. Over time the housing bows due to the heat and the fact that there are only 2 bolts holding it down. Making the surface flat will help prevent a gasket leak (like mine) once it's all back together.

And use either Ultra-Gray or Ultra-Blue sealant from Permatex. Both are very good; I think the gray is meant for t-stat and water pump gaskets.

The rest is straight forward. Once everything is back together, let the sealant cure for a while (I'd wait 24 hours, but you don't have to). Then just remember to pack the cooling system once you restart the car again.

Good luck.

oldace84

What year is your vette......depends...at the least 15 minutes....at the most depending on year...1 hour and 15 minutes......
Have you already done it??????
So if so how long did it take you?????
thanks
tony
:eek: :D :D :eek:

hngacurv

86 L98. I haven't done it yet. I'll probably do it this weekend.