Changing Thermostat 4.2L V8

[ezkii]

I have been searching for a post on this and i am sure it is here somewhere but i cant find it..

I need to change the thermostat in my VH SL/E 4.2L Commodore and i have no idea at all. Can anyone tall me where it is and what i will need (Other than the thermostat) if anything, to change it. My car is overheating and the thermo is my last point of change.

As you can guess i have not done much in cars but am willing to give it a go, any info is greatly appreciated.

P.S. Any recommendation as to what temp thermo i should get (I live in Tamworth so it gets relatively hot here in summer.)

Thanks

[Huitzi]

Follow the top hose from your radiator this will connect to the thermostat housing ...undo the bolts on the housing and you will soon find the thermostat.
To check the thermostat to see if its working put it in a cup of boiling hot water and see if it opens up ,if it doesn't open take it out of the cup of water and take it to the shed and grab a hammer and proceed to hit it very hard on the thermostat and then calmly put the stuffed thermostat in the bin and then replace it with a new one.

[ezkii]

Thanks,
I have changed the thermostat now and the top and bottom heater hoses are getting hot now (Top a tiny bit hotter than bottom, normal supposedly) The car still shows overheating, next step is to check the temp. sensor and make sure it is ok, i got told it is connected to the thermostat housing, but it isnt.

Any help would be great

Thanks

VH SL/E V8 4.2L

(Had a 82c Thermostat in it, was told by three different places to get a 91c Thermostat as this was the best suited to this engine, hope they were right)

[Tom_1569]

Id say your car has other reasons for over-heating, but either way if its over heating you dont put a higher thermo in.
The thermostate rating, is what temperature it opens up at. So until the water/coolant is to 91c it isnt flowing any water.

[ezkii]

Yeah, im still not convinced that it is overheating though, after driving it till it said on the temp gauge that it was overheating i pulled up grabbed both radiator hoses and they were heated up but i could easily hold on to both hoses with no probs, thats why i think it is either the temp sensor or the gauge itself. The oil Smells fine so the engine itself isnt overheating the oil.

Thanks for the posts

[Tom_1569]

Oh ok.... Holden still have the temp sensors, well they did a couple of months ago. 15bux... Aftermarket are about 35. Try the sensor, id be putting money on that before the gauge.
Alternativly you can test the gauge. I cant remember exactly how so I hope someone can remember, but you remove the wire and short it out and it should read full hot, then remove it and it should read full cold.