Just curious how often you all out there change your thermostats? My truck has about 55,000 miles on it. Do you think that I might be due?

 

I change mine everytime I change the coolant (every 2-3 years).
I only use Motorcraft thermostats.

I normally remove the thermostat, and keep flushing the system
with ONLY distilled water, until it comes out clear. I then install
a new thermostat, and add a 50% mixture of antifreeze & 50%
distilled water. Using distilled water will minimize the mineral
deposits in heater core, and radiator.

 

Hello Bob! Good to hear from you again. Thanks for the reply. I never thought of changing it at the same time as the coolant. That's a good idea--efficient. You might as well since you have to drain the coolant before this procedure anyway.

It is also noted to use only the Motorcraft thermostats. I will take your advice. The only drawback is a have to wait until tomorrow for the Ford dealer to be open so I can purchase a themostat. A day of rest is good for us anyway.

 

I forgot to mention, that the reason I remove the thermostat, is
to increase the circulation while flushing with distilled water.
You don't have to wait for the thermostat to get hot enough
to open either....

 

Thanks for the help! I changed my thermostat this morning before work and all went well. The hardest part about the whole procedure was scraping off the old gasket material. My engine now seems to heat up faster but doesn't get as hot at operating temperature. It was the same temperature thermostat so I can't help but think that perhaps the old thermostat was beginning not to open all the way. A thermostat is probably cheap insurance.