Has any one ever replaced a Cooper S thermostat themselves? it does not appear all that difficult but i would love some pointers.

Thanks in advance

 

it's easy. you can access it at the drivers' side of the head .

 

Just another opinion: it stinks! I just did it on a 2005 MCS. It was NOT easy at all. Awkward, tight, dark and messy. I removed the intake tubes and still there was a whole bunch of tightly stretched wiring sitting right on top of the thermostat--tied to a bracket that shares 2 of the 3 thermostat housing bolts. The inlet and outlet coolant hoses are rigid and have very little play. It can be done, but for me, this ranks an 3/10 on the mod/repair scale. And Ive done BBK, struts, header, so I've been to some bad mod places.
Of course, everyone on NAM says it's easy--which just proves that there are some really talented mechanics here for whom such a job is not difficult.
YMMV Good luck

 

It was a piece of cake. Unbolt intake and intercooler. Then unbolt the thermostat housing and roll it back a bit. Pull out old thermostat and replace with new one. Had it done in about 40 minutes start to finish.

 

I did all the steps at least 3 times in the last two days. What are you looking to accomplish from it?

 

sorry; easy is a relevant term. it does take pulling a bunch of stuff apart, but just be methodical ..

 

well i am leaking coolant from there so I should fix it before the winter. Plus it wouldn't hurt to add fresh coolant since the car is an 05.

 

The "book" tells you to remove the air box, is that necessary?

 

YES, you have to remove the airbox to get it out. There isn't much of a way to do it without removing the airbox.

Also make sure you get the newer thermostat with the clear colored gasket, the white gaskets are the old version. I keep the new ones in stock cause I've replaced like 100 of them.

Thermostat
http://www.waymotorworks.com/product...7&cat=0&page=1

 

I did this earlier this week. Not as easy as it first appears.. the JCW air box was a pain to remove. Had to remove the lid, then the box... once there, accessing the thermostat was easier... except for the one bolt with a friggin bolt hanging down right next to it. Once I removed the clamp on the smaller hose I was able to fit the socket in there... I will say my hands are a little cut up and now that I have done it it should be an easy fix next time.

 

Did mine today. Removed the CAI, and all the intake plumbing. Just remember if you remove the intake box, you have to remove the ECU completely, so watch disconnecting the connectors so you don't damage them. Removed the MAP sensor and moved wiring out the way. Took me an hour and a half and only 10 minutes of that was changing out the thermostat!!!!! But removing all those components made the job easier. My gasket literally fell apart upon removal. After it was all put back together, bleed the system. Believe it or not, my car only has one bleed port above the radiator. Also, once you remove all the components, this is a perfect time to clean up in there and check the wiring out. Anybody need any help, pm me.

 

I don't believe it!

I have an 05 MCS too and it has two bleed valves. The second one is near the thermostat housing. It's metal and resembles a bolt head so you might not have recognized it as a bleed valve...

 

Well, I knew there was one in that area, but I was expecting it to be on a hose. Either way, I was luckily able to bleed it through one.

 

It needs to be bled from both valves though because air can get trapped at both places (that's why they spent money on two valves ). And you might have to go back and forth between the two valves a few times to get all the air out.

 

has anyone successfully reused the theromstat/gasket, either with or without rtv?

 

My gasket literally fell apart when I took the housing off. If you're taking the housing off, might as well change the thermostat too.

 

I must have been lucky then, beacuse it's good. As a matter of fact, I don't get the swishing sound upon start up anymore. It used to sound like someone swishing mouthwash around in their mouth.

 

...or if you're a gadget/tool-junky like me you use a vacuum filler...

 

And for anyone wondering, there is no coolant drain anywhere. Your best bet is to either pull a hose and make a mess, or place towels underneath the housing and rock the hose slightly off only letting a small amount of coolant out at a time. Using your towels, keep soaking up the coolant in the reservoir. After about 10min of this, you will be able to pull the housing off without dumping coolant everywhere and making a potential hazard for any pets or children. I would remove the housing completely, and make sure it is bone dry before reinstalled, along with drying off the head connection too.

 

Most definitely. I did mine at the Auto Hobby shop on base. I used a huge recycling bin to catch the coolant. Of course I was able to dispose of it there. Make sure you use a large bin because popping the lower radiator hose makes a mess!!!!! Heck, I started getting coolant flowing as soon as I started undoing the clip.

 

When I was doing the thermostat/gasket replacement, I removed the coolant tank and scrubbed it with soap and a brush. It came out looking much better. In fact, I guess this is a little OCD but each time I have to work under the hood, I clean up as much of whatever area I'm working in. It's starting to look somewhat "tidy".

 

Yes, it's the perfect time to do some cleaning. You wouldn't believe how much dirt and crud can accumulate under the intake system.

 

Great... I just had my thermostat and water pump replaced and am still hearing swishing sounds occasionally after start up. Plus I've got a mystery leak on my R50 that's bringing down the level on the coolant tank but can't find puddles or leaks anywhere. Nor am I seeing evidence of it going into the oil. Oh joy.

 

I followed all this good information and replaced my thermostat...but its still over heating five minutes into running. And I'm in Seattle it never gets over 50 here. Any ideas?
Thanks

 

anyone want to give me step by step directions? My '06 MCS has had overheating problems since March. I replaced the hydraulic (something) pulley in May and it's still overheating. A friend of my husband's thinks it's the thermostat. I do notice some drippage (not wet) from the coolant reservoir but no active leaking. Suggestions?