Thermostat/Housing.. Help!

[Luke]

Hi Everybody ...

Just replaced the water pump in the KJ without a hitch ...

until I squeezed the lower rad hose a few times to cycle the air pockets through ... the third time I feel a hard lump inside the hose.

It would appear that the thermostat has come out of the housing and traveled down the lower rad hose.

Am I right? ...and ... does this mean the thermostat housing is toast? or can I disassemble and reassemble with a new gasket?

Thanks in advance,

 

[tjkj2002]

Did the hose feel "crunchy" ? If so the hose is bad and you should never hard squeeze the OEM hose as they are EPDM and when bad they harden on the inside.If you squeeze to hard and fast with a bad hose is pushes that junk into the system causing issues.

Besides that you shouldn't be able to really squeeze the lower hose anyways as it should have a spring inside of it to prevent it from collapsing since the t-stat is on the lower end.

 

[Luke]

Thanks for responding dude! ...

The hose is relatively soft .. no crunchiness .. just a hard lump (inside the hose) close to the rad. Maybe what I'm feeling is normal ... I was gently squeezing and then the third time (I thought in the same place) all of a sudden it was hard and I did feel a spring like vibration.

So to clarify is the thermostat in the thermostat housing or in the rad hose at the rad end? Sounds like such a stupid question...but I am confused and worried that I'm going to screw something up if something is in that rad hose that shouldn't be.

OK ... so I just went and groped my lower rad hose again .. soft just after the rad connection (plastic sleeve) for an inch or so, then hard for a few inches then soft the rest of the way to the thermostat housing. ... Normal?

Is is physically possible for the thermostat to work it's way out of the housing and down the rad house?

 

[Luke]

I think I was just a little over cautious last night ...lol .. It must have been the spring in the rad hose I was feeling. She ran like a champ today.

 

[J'sJeep]

If you don't open the bleeder screw While refilling you'll keep air pockets and burn out the pump.

 

[Luke]

You are correct sir ... it was tight but came out eventually.

*although I'm not sure how you can burn out a mechanical pump... point taken. Don't want any hot spots in the engine.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

If the T stat wasn't working (as in if it became dislodged) you'd get a code, and it would take the KJ forever to warm up.

 

[Luke]

Ya it was just one of those things where I guess I just couldn't believe that the whole process went so smoothly... so I had to make up my own problem ...lmao

 

[tjkj2002]

If you don't open the bleeder screw While refilling you'll keep air pockets and burn out the pump.

I've installed 5 radiators on my KJ and never once opened that bleeder screw,never had a issue bleeding my KJ.

 

[J'sJeep]

Just something passed to me from a tech I know. I'm glad you've not had any problems. Only trying to give some helpful input.

 

[tjkj2002]

Just something passed to me from a tech I know. I'm glad you've not had any problems. Only trying to give some helpful input.

I'm a tech also and have done more cooling stuff to Chryslers with 3.7/4.7's then I care to count and never had to open that bleed screw.

 

[J'sJeep]

Yeah I got that from your last.