Thermostat fitting help

[GolfGL]

Hi, so after a quick flick through the haynes vague manual i tried to fit my new thermostat as it seems to be sticking open.

Didn't quite read the manual correctly and went straight for pulling the bottom rad hose off and then went to remove the thermostat but soon realised there is a load of power steering mouting bracket in the way. I loosened the bolts i thought were holding it on but im going wrong somewhere and need some advice.

This is what mine looks like - from the top

from the bottom


Can someone confirm the process to replace the thermostat on a 2.0 8v with powersteering and if possible identify what bolts come off from the photos above.

Thanks
Adam

[parsnip]

Hi there i have just done my water pump , i went in from the top takeing the alt, out never went near my power steering pump its a easy job when you get the alt out the way , good luck

[Stewy12]

Should be 2 10mm bolts on the black housing undo them with spanner and you should see the rest

[Bandit127]

Having done mine a few weeks ago I think Parsnip might have the water pump & thermostat mixed up.

I couldn't get to mine without removing the PS pump (AGG engine that looks identical to yours).

It is a crap job and - like I posted after mine - anyone who says it is easy has ramps. Electric ones that go to head height... If, like me you don't then get it as high as you can on axle stands.

A couple of how-tos that I managed to put together to make sense of mine...
http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed/Campingart/jettatech/coolingmaint/index.htm
http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/forums/f47/thermostat-diy-8603.html

Sanity check - the o-ring goes between the thermostat and the housing - not between the thermostat and the block...

Good luck and you have my sympathy.

[GolfGL]

Bandit- that is awesome thanks.i think i will follow the short and simple second one.  i was on the right track but didnt see the top bolt to the left of the adjuster. my golf is so high i didnt even jack it up which probably didnt help lol.
Thanks again

[Bandit127]

i was on the right track but didnt see the top bolt to the left of the adjuster.

LOL - I think that was the bolt I had left over at the end. It took 10 minutes of "where the feck does this go" before I found it...

P.S. The bottom pic. There is a long bolt directly to the left of the hose that goes to the thermostat housing (it makes a pivot for the tensioner). You can just see some of the head in that pic. Look for that bolt from the other side and there is one about 15mm above it - 16mm AF IIRC, 14mm if not. That one needs to come out too.

[GolfGL]

Yeah will do and next time i'll consult the forum before the haynes. Next up timing belt but luckily already seen a diy guide which is like the ones you posted 20 times more informative than a haynes!

[Gavv8]

Hi there i have just done my water pump ,

My favorite post of the week..

[mrsaunders]

When I done mine I didn't touch the power steering pump, but mind you I was doin the water pump at the same time so changed the thermostat when it was off

[GolfGL]

Weyhey! undoing those 3 adjusters and then the 3mounting bracket bolts was relatively quick and easy. On this engine there is no chance you could do this job without removing ps pump. my coolant is now a nice clear blue rather than a Blackish green.
Adam