Replacing Thermostst?

Does anyone have a special trick for getting to the thermostat with the rear clam in place, we could get to the rear 2 bolts but the third was a problem so we just left it alone.

Is there an easy way or should i wait for the remote thermostat housing to arrive, as we will be replacing the clutch and have to take the clam off anyway.

Thanks

Uldis did this recently - clam in situ - so he should be along soon.

Hi Jason.

It can be done, I did it on my own, but if I had known what I was going to suffer, I would have paid 2 hrs Lotus garage times to do it.

And I didn’t take off the TB’s

Have you practiced fingerr yoga? because that would surely help.

Basically you need to loosen the metal coolant pipes so half of the thermostat housing can be pulled when you manage to take the three screws.
And if you have taken two of them out, you only need patience and take the thrid one out , 1/100 of a turn each time between the tip of two fingers, (don’t remember if I used only one hand or two).
Once that’s ou, it’s just a matter of pulling on the previously loosened pipes, and all the coolant will spill now.

Did you have some 2 litres extra? good!

Then assembly is just the reverse, a nightmare but in reverse.
And apart from the obvious thermal shock reasons, this is the other very important one to change to a remote thermostat.
Now that my engine is off, I will install a remote one.

Good luck!

It’s a bit like wallpapering your house through the letterbox

Thanks Uldis,

I think i am going to wait for the remote thermostat otherwise i will have to replace coolant twice. And go through the whole procedure again. Had the airbox off yesterday but did not want to take off the TB’s which might have made it easier.

Thanks for the info.

LOL…