So I'm driving to school Thursday morning and it is quiet cold outside (20 deg or so) and I notice it is taking the car and awful long time to warm up, next thing I know the "service engine soon" light comes on. Well on Saturday I take the car to my buddies service station and he hooks up the diagnostic to it and it gives me code po128, and he says that although it could be a few other things, its more than likely the thermostat. Saturday I go to Autozone and get a new thermostat for 19.99, and didn't get around to installing it till today. These are my adventures in changing the seemingly easy thermostat.

1. Buy new thermostat from Autozone, but wait although they have one apparently it has been hidden and I'll have to drive across town to the other Autozone and get it.

2. Wait for car to cool down, damn its getting dark might as well drink some beer I'll just do it tomorrow or Monday.

3. Sunday comes and the Lions get destroyed, not really interested in watching the 4 o'clock game even though I love watching Dallas get beat, so I might as well change the thermostat.

4. Only 2 bolts, a clamp and some crazy plastic clamp on this harness, that doesn't seem bad at all.

5. Open plastic clamp and remove harness.

6. Remove 2 bolts from thermostat, wow thats a lot of anitfreeze.

7. Remove clamp from hose, damn this clamp is a *****, why can't they use the same clamps I'm use to on aircraft.

8. Finally, got the damn thermostat off, but how do I remove this plastic harness clamp without breaking it? I'll just squeeze the little plastic tongs back together with some pliers and pull it out, after a few minutes, finally got it.

9. Install new Thermostat (Practically steps 1 through 8 in reverse)

10. Refill radiator and reservoir.

11. Start car, wow she's warming up fast.

12. Turn off car and refill reservoir.

13. Restart car.

14. Turn on heater, the car is reading 210 deg why so cold?

15. Take car for spin around block, car reading about 230, turn on heater full blast and roll down windows to cool car down.

16. Check reservoir, reading low, refill again.

17. Start car again let run for awhile and shut off, still needs more coolant, refill.

18. Start car, "service engine soon" light goes out, take car for a spin runs like a champ.


I just thought I would write about my experiences today with the car, can't really say I didn't enjoy it though, I'm in now way a car expert, but i'm sure if it had wings and 4 jet engines pushing 30k lbs of thrust a piece and flew at supersonic speeds I would have no problem what so ever.

 

arent there bleeder screw on a ls to get the air out.

 

I don't know like I said I'm not very experienced with car mechanics I just went at it with the good ole' trial and error method.

 

god i love the old 350 engines, i was driving home from the bowling alley in my 78 and it started to get really hot really fast, so before it got into the read i pull over and shut her down, the thermostat is right on the top, get it off with some good angling and a screw driver although would be alot easier if i had a ratchet, jam the screw driver into the thing, pry open the thermostat, good enough to get home where i have real tools. they really knew how to make things so you could fix it on the go back then didnt they? not to mention changing the thermostat and waterpump (it was a 32 yr old water pump figured while i was there to replace it) took me a total of 20 minutes, compaired to a 94 ford probe FWD i had when i went to change the water pump and it required taking the valve cover off and 2 hours into it i said **** it and sold the car lol

 

I think what got to me the most was the coolant reservoir. I'm not use to having a dipstick in there, made it a bigger pain in the ***. As far as the older 350's go, I had an 94 Z71 single cab stepside, 5 speed tranny, with a 350, that thing was as mean as they come, but it had some starter meeting up with the flywheel issues that nobody could explain after extensive work.

 

i know what you mean about the starter meeting up with the flywheel, if you look at my old posts i had that problem for months lol it eventually just chewed away at the flywheel so i got a new starter flywheel and clutch and all that jazz and now she runs like a beaut, just have to fix the Tach now so i can set the timing lol