Thermostat Housing: Service and Repair

Thermostat Housing - 3.5L, 3.7L













Removal

1. Drain the cooling system. For additional information, refer to Cooling System Draining, Filling and Bleeding Service and Repair.

2. Remove the Air Cleaner (ACL) outlet pipe.

3. Release the clamps, disconnect the 5 coolant hoses from the thermostat housing and position them aside.

4. Remove the 2 thermostat housing bolts.

5. NOTE: Do not pull the other end of the coolant tube out of the engine block when separating the thermostat housing.
Separate the thermostat housing from the coolant tube and remove the thermostat housing.

- Remove and discard the thermostat housing-to-coolant inlet pipe O-ring seal and the thermostat housing gasket.


Installation

1. NOTICE: The engine cooling system is filled with Motorcraft(R) Specialty Orange Engine Coolant. Do not mix coolant types. Mixing coolant types degrades the corrosion protection of the coolant.

Install a new thermostat housing-to-coolant inlet pipe O-ring seal and lubricate it with clean engine coolant.


2. Install a new thermostat housing gasket, the thermostat housing and the bolts.
- Tighten the bolts in 2 stages.
- Stage 1: Tighten to 8 Nm (71 lb-in).

- Stage 2: Tighten an additional 90 degrees.



3. Connect the 5 coolant hoses to the thermostat housing and position the clamps.

4. Install the ACL (Air Cleaner) outlet pipe.

5. Fill and bleed the cooling system. For additional information, refer to Cooling System Draining, Filling and Bleeding Service and Repair.