heat??? iam cold!!!!

[Tim]

so far i broke the housing that holds the thermostat .
when i put in the new one it fell out of the little groove that it sits in and did not seal.
so i tried to tighten it down and snap.
so the new one will be here in the morning and that was a 20 dollar lesson.
but.
the old thermostat is a 160 and there is a 180 (stock) and what i am using a 195.
here in sask it is cold and never as hot as some places so the parts guy said that the 195 will be good.
my only advice is next time i would just let some shop do it and save the hassle.
really this is not a big job but just the way it is going it is a hassle.
also the bottom bolt is in a stupid spot that need a special wobble socket extension to get to.

shayne

Tell me about it...

I replaced mine, and it was a major pain in the ass. I ended up removing the distributor to get to that other bolt. Then the thermostat was stubborn and would'nt budge. Seems like everyone breaks the housing for the thermostat at least once. I probably would've too had there not been 2 mechanics watching my every move.

One more thing - if you remove the distributor, make alignment marks w/ a pencil or something before taking it off. If you don't, and go to put it back on, you will screw up the timing. I learned that the hard way.



Regards,

Tim

[Pgh5spd]

First, if in any doubt, flush your cooling system. Unless you've done it before on the Festiva in question, it's probably never been done before. The people who bought these cars new were not performance nuts, they were cheapskates.

But, when yours still doesn't produce enough heat to offset temps from Michigan & points north, there's no shame in cardboard*. These cars were designed for the third world, and the third world is generally hot. So, they're better at keeping cool than running hot. Plus, excess heat means lost fuel economy, so be happy they run cold.

Just remember to take the cardboard out when things warm up, and keep in mind that on longer drives you may need to adjust the cardboard for more air flow, too.

But since this is a continual complaint, here's a question: has anyone ever tried those ceramic heaters you plug into your cigarette lighter? Do they produce much heat? Is that an easier solution?

*The big Classic-era V-12 Packards & other expensive cars from the late 1930's had thermostatically controlled grille shutters. Basically, automatic cardboard. Until the coolant got up to temperature, the stainless grille bars stayed closed, cutting off airflow to the radiator. When things warmed up, a thermostat mounted in the radiator opened, pulling on a lever connected to the grille bars, and they opened. (For a long time & probably still, the original manufacturer, Robertshaw Controls, would rebuild those units. They're about the size of a Festiva distributor).

John

[xloser98]

i have a 89 festiva with a engine from a 97 aspire - ran car all summer with no problems - now in middle of winter and i cant get it to build engine temp . radiator fully covered - new thermostat - no fan on radiator - just barely comes off cold after running 3-4 hours in 40 degree outside temps - can put hand on engine anywhere - any ideas???

[defprun]

It has been mentioned before (so I dont take all the credit) try running less water and more coolant in your system, it might help.

[bravekozak]

It almost sounds as though your new thermostat wasn't there. Have you radiator cap pressure checked.

[koRnhead]

Holy thread revival!

[TorqueEffect]

It has been mentioned before (so I dont take all the credit) try running less water and more coolant in your system, it might help.

I think I may have to try this.

[xloser98]

has new cap all new coolant - still no heat - 30 degrees today - rad covered - no engine fan - moved 1/8 in into operating temp after running over an hour - ideas????

[xloser98]

2nd thermostat in 2 months ( thought 1st might be faulty)