Date:         Wed, 16 Oct 2002 11:21:30 EDT
Reply-To:     THX0001@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Excellent Advice / replacing themostat, Help!
Comments: To: JSchaper@SCHSA.ORG
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 10/16/02 10:47:24 AM, JSchaper@SCHSA.ORG writes:

<< And one thing I would do would be to apply liberal amounts of penetrating

oil to the bolts for several days before you do the job--nothing worse than

snapping the bolt off! >>

Just did both things on my Syncro.  Copious amounts of penetrating oil then
still wrung one off.  Unfortunately, it is not the kind of thing which is
repaired in place, so off came the lower thermostat housing.  Solely by the
Grace of God, neither of the housing fasteners snapped off.  I do not know
about anyone else, but I have trouble with opening a hose connection which
has remained undisturbed for over 100 Kmi., then using the old hoses again.
Needless to say, a 5 minute job of changing the thermostat turned into
changing every hose attached to the engine.  The four thermostat top housing
screws are now stainless and doped up with anti-seize to within an inch of
their lives.

George