Where is the thermostat located?

[Time Machine]

I want to replace the thermostat and I'm having a hard time locating it. Any ideas?

Also, where do I find a replacement?

39165

[DMC-81]

Hi there, here is the location...

39166

Cheers,

[John U]

I buy most of my parts from Dave and Julee at DMC Midwest. Great people to deal with and quick shipping. Where are you located?

[RamblinDMC]

I installed new a thermostat from Advance Auto. Works just fine! Make sure to get a new gasket too.

[Time Machine]

I buy most of my parts from Dave and Julee at DMC Midwest. Great people to deal with and quick shipping. Where are you located?

Right now, I'm in New Orleans and I'm on an epic journey to get my DeLorean back home to Tampa...
I tell you, It's been a wild ride. The first time I drove it, it overheated and boiled out all the coolant, but before I could even start fixing that issue, the car stopped steering correctly, so I spent a fortune on getting the chassis welded and replacing control arms, bushings and whatnot... Now I'm back to square one, dealing with the original overheating issue. Fucking love this car even though it kinda hates me.

The hardest part of all of this is that I didn't bring a laptop (just an iPhone). I finally got my hands on a manual today, but now I need to find service manuals and whatever else I need to dive head into DeLoreanism and learn the car inside and out.

[Time Machine]

Hi there, here is the location...

39166

Cheers,

Still can't find it. Where is it in relation to the picture I provided?

[Nicholas R]

In your engine bay, just inside of the rear bumper, look straight down. Thats what this photo is. There is a small aluminum cap that covers the thermostat (the cap is removed in that photo^). See the waterpump pulley in the photo? Use that to get your bearing.

[RamblinDMC]

It's right beneath the W pipe on the intake manifold. (You have to remove it to gain access to the thermostat housing.)
Look for the driver's side coolant hose, follow it up to where it connects to the engine, that's where the thermostat is located, right under that cap.

Sometimes you can get a stuck thermostat to operate temporarily by getting the car up to temperature and lightly hitting the thermostat housing with a hammer. You can then use one of those handheld laser thermometer things to check if both coolant hoses are warm. Or you can touch them lightly, but be very careful.

[John U]

Right now, I'm in New Orleans and I'm on an epic journey to get my DeLorean back home to Tampa...
I tell you, It's been a wild ride. The first time I drove it, it overheated and boiled out all the coolant, but before I could even start fixing that issue, the car stopped steering correctly, so I spent a fortune on getting the chassis welded and replacing control arms, bushings and whatnot... Now I'm back to square one, dealing with the original overheating issue. Fucking love this car even though it kinda hates me.

The hardest part of all of this is that I didn't bring a laptop (just an iPhone). I finally got my hands on a manual today, but now I need to find service manuals and whatever else I need to dive head into DeLoreanism and learn the car inside and out.

That is crazy adventurous....good luck!

[sdg3205]

If your car overheated odds are it's probably not the thermostat. There are more likely culprits, but it can't hurt to swap out.

[Lou and "Boo"]

You probably just need to burp the pass side upper radiator small hose. Or install the bleder kit.

[sdg3205]

... burp the... small hose

Get your mind out of the gutter, Lou.

[Josh]

If your car overheated odds are it's probably not the thermostat. There are more likely culprits, but it can't hurt to swap out.

x2

[kings1527]

Even though it's not going to help your immediate problem, I'd definitely invest in a self bleeder kit from Toby. Cheap and easy to install and dummyproofs the bleeding process (as long as you remember to open the check valve when you're in bleeding mode....:banghead: )

You'll definitely want to figure out your overheating issue sooner than later since overheating this aluminum PRV is the last thing you want to do. On-time oil changes and not overheating it will get you very far with its longevity. Check to make sure your otterstat is functioning and you might want to think about investing in a fan sequencer from DMCMW. Make sure the cap is good on the coolant bottle so the cooling system is able to pressurize properly.

[Rich]

Agreeing that the cooling system MUST be properly filled AND bled before bothering to do any other troubleshooting of overheating symptoms.

Lots of threads exist here about how best to fill and bleed.

Will just paste in the one here from the DMC Tech Bulletin ST-09-10/82 as one option. You'll find the brass bleed screw/tube facing you on the cast alum. thermostat housing just above the upper (water pump) pulley, to left of the throttle spool/spring, under the throttle water shield (if shield is fitted):


Because the De Lorean is equipped with an aluminum engine, it is extremely important that the engine's cooling system be absolutely free of any air. If the cooling system is opened for service or any other reason or after a leak has been repaired THE SYSTEM MUST BE BLED.
Bleeding Procedure:
1) Fill the coolant reservoir tank with fresh 50/50 coolant mixture. NOTE: The coolant level must not fall below the minimum (MIN) level indicated on the reservoir tank during the bleeding procedure to avoid air from being drawn into the system.
2) Attach a suitable length of hose to the bleed screw located on the thermostat housing. Route this hose clear of all belts and pulleys and place the other end into a container holding coolant mixture. The hose must remain in the coolant during the bleeding.
3) Start and run the engine until normal operating temperature is reached. Thermostat starts to open at 185° F. Thermostat full open at 212° F.
4) While running the engine between 1500-2000 RPM, open the bleed screw to allow the trapped air to escape. Close the bleed screw. Because of the low pressures and remote location of the radiator in this system, this step must be repeated until all air pockets are removed.

With patience this works fine. With other tricks and tools it can be faster. Bleed it somehow before taking things apart.

[Chris4099]

I installed new a thermostat from Advance Auto. Works just fine! Make sure to get a new gasket too.

What temp is that thermostat? I once had a mechanic change my water pump and he used an off-the-shelf thermostat which was rated for 92c (factory spec is 87c). This resulted in my engine running a bit hotter and more importantly the cooling fans would not shut off after starting (as the thermostat would close before the coolant got cool enough for the outerstat to turn off). I installed the proper 87c thermostat and all was good.

He also put in silicone sealant around the gasket which made a mess. Completely unnecessary. Just put in the gasket dry and bolt down the cover.

[RamblinDMC]

What temp is that thermostat? I once had a mechanic change my water pump and he used an off-the-shelf thermostat which was rated for 92c (factory spec is 87c). This resulted in my engine running a bit hotter and more importantly the cooling fans would not shut off after starting (as the thermostat would close before the coolant got cool enough for the outerstat to turn off). I installed the proper 87c thermostat and all was good.

He also put in silicone sealant around the gasket which made a mess. Completely unnecessary. Just put in the gasket dry and bolt down the cover.
I don't remember what it was rated at, but my car runs nice a and cool. I'm gonna say it was around 180F.


Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

[DMCMW Dave]

Agreeing that the cooling system MUST be properly filled AND bled before bothering to do any other troubleshooting of overheating symptoms.

With patience this works fine. With other tricks and tools it can be faster. Bleed it somehow before taking things apart.

I highly recommend bleeding the radiator separately. It can be done cold. Just top off the bottle, then disconnect the small hose at the top right of the radiator. If you have an OEM plastic radiator, disconnect the hose at the other end as breaking off the plastic nipple will ruin your day. Air will come out of the radiator until it fills up, then it will run coolant down your arm and in to your face. Hook it back up and bleed the engine. It's very hard to get the air out of the radiator from the engine only, it's a long way away and "uphill".