Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: terry paget on 10 November 2013, 20:42:36

Title: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: terry paget on 10 November 2013, 20:42:36
OE03EWW 2003 petrol manual 3.2 saloon
This car never gets really hot, chilly in winter. I changed a thermostat on a 1999 3.0 6 years ago, made hard work of it so left this 3.2. Having recently changed the exhaust manifold on my 2.5 I am more confident of removing the inlet manifold, having done it a several times. Apart from a new thermostat and transfer pipe with O rings, and antifreeze, is there anything else I might need?
.
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: Entwood on 10 November 2013, 20:47:17
depending on the old/new thermostat you "might" need new bolts ... the flange on the new ones can be much thinner than the old ones, so you can't tighten it down properly .. the holes are blind so the bolts bottom out if too long (and if you force them you risk splitting the head )....  :(

plenty of loose change for the swear box as you try and replace the bastard bolt .....  :)
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: terry paget on 10 November 2013, 21:20:27
Thanks. I assume I can shim the bolts with washers if they are too long. I remember the bastard bolt - I imagine that is the bolt that locates transfer pipe, dip stick and something else, possibly engine lifting bracket. I think I fitted the transfer pipe and dip stick, but never the lifting bracket, which still sits on a shelf, though I scrapped the car two years ago.
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: Toledodude1973 on 10 November 2013, 21:31:53
Have you really got 6 Omega's Terry are you a glutton for punishment ;D ;D
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 10 November 2013, 21:43:23
The holes in mine were not blind, not that it mattered as this thermostat was the same part number and totally identical to the one I removed and £20 cheaper than my local dealer could supply it for :y

 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200914781107?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649  (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200914781107?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)

All the ones on ebay uk I could find were a different part number to the 3.2 one, which might explain the fitting issues :-\

Just done mine today, took about six hours, but included a breather and throttle clean along with a couple of other bits. The worst two bits were getting the transfer pipe separated from the thermostat and the hose clip on the other end of the transfer pipe. That clip took over 45 minutes to refit >:( bastid bolt took less than one ;D
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: terry paget on 10 November 2013, 22:24:10
Have you really got 6 Omega's Terry are you a glutton for punishment
Oh yes. R706FHD, the wife's 2.0 estate, V324DTO, daughter Catherine's 2.5 saloon, X84GNB, my 2.5 estate, Y188NFA son Ben's 2.2, KR02RSO son Jonny's 2.2, and OE03EWW my 3.2 saloon and family spare. All are taxed and insured and currently in running order, though often one is under repair. I thank all members of this forum for help keeping them going.
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: joshwyatt on 11 November 2013, 22:01:55
Have you really got 6 Omega's Terry are you a glutton for punishment
Oh yes. R706FHD, the wife's 2.0 estate, V324DTO, daughter Catherine's 2.5 saloon, X84GNB, my 2.5 estate, Y188NFA son Ben's 2.2, KR02RSO son Jonny's 2.2, and OE03EWW my 3.2 saloon and family spare. All are taxed and insured and currently in running order, though often one is under repair. I thank all members of this forum for help keeping them going.

I guess that must be an ex Thames Valley Police one, white perchance?  ;D
I know Norton fairly well, I often travel to Ston Easton a few time a months. I also own x2 former TVP Omega's.
Al, did I remember correctly Vauxworld having oe Thermostat's at a good price?
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 11 November 2013, 22:15:42
I had a rummage around, but the part number they showed was different to the 'correct' 3.2 one... hence buying the one I did. I guess it would be reasonable to assume that all the V6 thermostats are the same, but having one car atm I couldn't chance it being wrong :y
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: terry paget on 13 November 2013, 21:33:47
Have you really got 6 Omega's Terry are you a glutton for punishment
Oh yes. R706FHD, the wife's 2.0 estate, V324DTO, daughter Catherine's 2.5 saloon, X84GNB, my 2.5 estate, Y188NFA son Ben's 2.2, KR02RSO son Jonny's 2.2, and OE03EWW my 3.2 saloon and family spare. All are taxed and insured and currently in running order, though often one is under repair. I thank all members of this forum for help keeping them going.

I guess that must be an ex Thames Valley Police one, white perchance?  ;D
I know Norton fairly well, I often travel to Ston Easton a few time a months. I also own x2 former TVP Omega's.
Al, did I remember correctly Vauxworld having oe Thermostat's at a good price?
Yes, exTVP. I bought it at WOMA, Witney, my last WOMA purchase. Ston Easton is about 2 miles away from me.
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: terry paget on 14 November 2013, 17:53:06
The holes in mine were not blind, not that it mattered as this thermostat was the same part number and totally identical to the one I removed and £20 cheaper than my local dealer could supply it for :y

 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200914781107?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649  (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200914781107?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)

All the ones on ebay uk I could find were a different part number to the 3.2 one, which might explain the fitting issues :-\

Just done mine today, took about six hours, but included a breather and throttle clean along with a couple of other bits. The worst two bits were getting the transfer pipe separated from the thermostat and the hose clip on the other end of the transfer pipe. That clip took over 45 minutes to refit >:( bastid bolt took less than one ;D
Thanks for the tip, Al. Autovox do offer the same part no. thermostat for £24, so I have ordered one from them. I have a pair of O rings left over from my exhaust manifold adventure, and the transfer pipe looks all right.
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: terry paget on 16 November 2013, 13:05:37
Part arrived Friday, not same part no. though. It was numbered 90 502 201 (old no. 24420652, as Autovaux offered) and 250 3185 beneath. The flange is 6mm at the hole, whereas the old was 18mm. One hole in the head was blind, the other straight through. The old bolts were non magnetic - stainless steel, see other thread, and I can see why - with a bolt immersed in coolant it might rust.

I think I shall fit this thermostat unless advices otherwise.
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 16 November 2013, 13:07:55
The part number discrepancy was why I bought the one that I did :y
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: noel on 16 November 2013, 19:26:40
Part arrived Friday, not same part no. though. It was numbered 90 502 201 (old no. 24420652, as Autovaux offered) and 250 3185 beneath. The flange is 6mm at the hole, whereas the old was 18mm. One hole in the head was blind, the other straight through. The old bolts were non magnetic - stainless steel, see other thread, and I can see why - with a bolt immersed in coolant it might rust.

I think I shall fit this thermostat unless advices otherwise.
terry if it helps when i replaced my thermostat the flange thickness was thinner,and as you have said one hole head is blanked and the other is straight through.In the hole that is blanked i used my bastard bolt seemed a good replacement,and worked for me HTH :y
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: terry paget on 17 November 2013, 22:12:14
Part arrived Friday, not same part no. though. It was numbered 90 502 201 (old no. 24420652, as Autovaux offered) and 250 3185 beneath. The flange is 6mm at the hole, whereas the old was 18mm. One hole in the head was blind, the other straight through. The old bolts were non magnetic - stainless steel, see other thread, and I can see why - with a bolt immersed in coolant it might rust.

I think I shall fit this thermostat unless advices otherwise.
terry if it helps when i replaced my thermostat the flange thickness was thinner,and as you have said one hole head is blanked and the other is straight through.In the hole that is blanked i used my bastard bolt seemed a good replacement,and worked for me HTH :y
Thanks Noel. I had some 20mm stainless steel hexagon head screws lying around, so I used those, with a couple of washers under the head on the blind thread side. I discovered that I could take the works out of the new thermostat by pressing down on the two lugs and rotating, so I could have re-used the old housing (with its thick flanges) and inserted the new thermostat works. Too late now though. All seems to work all right, temperature rises satisfactorily.
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: noel on 20 November 2013, 14:40:47
job well done terry :y,still got skin on your knuckles ?? ;)
Title: Re: temp gauge never reaches half way - failed thermostat?
Post by: terry paget on 20 November 2013, 15:11:20
job well done terry :y,still got skin on your knuckles ?? ;)
Thanks Noel. Yes, knuckles all intact, though subsequently injured stripping a 50 year old Landmaster Stoic lawnmower. It has a Briggs and Stratton engine and does not start well. The fuel tank is below the carburretor, there is no pump, yet it used to run and start well. It has long perplexed me how it worked. I now discover there is a rubber diaphragm between carburettor and tank, the tank is not all it seems, and the diaphragm contains a bent rod that operates an automatic choke. I do not understand it at all.