Thermostat not openning?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 59
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Thermostat not openning? Just fitted 160 stat to my LS1 and fired up.Temp gauge hit 200 pretty quickly but rad still cold so obviously stat not openning.Tested stat in boiling water and started openning at 160 so ok there.Water returning to header so pump should be ok.So maybe needs bleeding but is there a correct way to do this?
When the car is running if the upper radiator hose is warm the thermostat is open if the hose is cold it is stuck closed... you probably have an air bubble in the system that you need to remove. I simply popped the radiator cap while car was running and massaged the upper hose until the bubble was gone....may take several times to accomplish this.
Last edited by SS1875; Jan 7, 2009 at 05:31 PM.
Not sure where you are located. I flushed my daughter's Envoy this past weekend (it was low 30's) and even though the temp gauge was up, no flow out of upper hose. Took quite a while before flow actually started. Raising the front of the car and leaving the cap off helps purge air.
when you drain the water where the thermostat is, you have to pour water in the upper hose to fill the block, because theres no water behind the thermostat to make it open-once you pull the top hose and fill it, you will be fine
These methods will work, i personally like to use a tool made by "airlift", you use an air hose from your compressor and pull a vacuum on the system, then you close the check valve on the tool and get your coolant ready.The vacuum you put on the system will suck in the coolant,you will have no air pockets. Its a great tool, probably around $100-150 though.
