Hi guys & girls,

I read somewhere on here that someone had changed there thermostat on there Vrs or 1.8t recently, i now have to do the same job but cannot find the diy guide the person wrote.

Ive tried thermostat and also thermostat fitting, but i feel i read it under a different title.

Any help would be appreciated.

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=101783.0

GET A GENUINE ONE also. I got a GSF 'topran' one which lasted 6 months.

Get a new O ring while youre there too.

Best bet is some very long 1/4" drive extension bars (about 10-12" worth) plus a universal joint plus allen socket.

haven't seen a guide on here but i used the tt forum's guide (below). i did mine recently and it does take between 1 and a half and 2 hours to do. best method to use is this one but you need the right tools. i used a 1/4 inch ratchet set (with knuckle joint) to get to the two bolts that hold on the plastic hose mount to the block and a steady hand is needed to get the lower bolt in place. Theres an 8mm nut that holds down the cabling for the alternator that gets right in the way, i found the best way to get that lower bolt back on was to undo that 8mm nut and gently pull the cabling out enough to squeeze an extension bar underneath it and then do up the bolt by hand.

some people will recommend moving the alternator for easier access but i managed without by doing the above method. just ensure that the battery is disconnected before this as hovering too close to that alternator can be dangerous. ensure you have coolant to top up with after and jobs a good'n

GOOD LUCK!

Thermostat Change

I'll be doing this job in a couple of weeks, so I'll try and do a DIY for it.

I've got all the tools and parts I need now, so good to go. Thermostat and o-ring cost me £26 from the dealers (new staff so I've lost my discount! :'( ).

Thermostat: 050 121 113C (87deg. C, Made in Germany), O-Ring: 038 121 119B

I'm using 3/8" socketry to do the job. I've got a couple of extensions and a set of flexible sockets, which should do the job nicely. They're like sockets with built in UJ's so they fit in tighter spaces. These are them: http://www.britool.com/product.php?p=708140

I also have a flexible stubby ratchet and UJ if I need it, so should be covered.

Just need a non-wet/freezing day to do it now!

Did you remember a bottle of G12 too? Should easily get by with just one.

Did you remember a bottle of G12 too? Should easily get by with just one.

Yeah I've had that for ages. Got a couple of bottles, and a bottle mixed up ready to go!

haven't seen a guide on here but i used the tt forum's guide (below). i did mine recently and it does take between 1 and a half and 2 hours to do. best method to use is this one but you need the right tools. i used a 1/4 inch ratchet set (with knuckle joint) to get to the two bolts that hold on the plastic hose mount to the block and a steady hand is needed to get the lower bolt in place. Theres an 8mm nut that holds down the cabling for the alternator that gets right in the way, i found the best way to get that lower bolt back on was to undo that 8mm nut and gently pull the cabling out enough to squeeze an extension bar underneath it and then do up the bolt by hand.

some people will recommend moving the alternator for easier access but i managed without by doing the above method. just ensure that the battery is disconnected before this as hovering too close to that alternator can be dangerous. ensure you have coolant to top up with after and jobs a good'n

GOOD LUCK!

Thermostat Change

Thats the one i read.

Thanks guys, yet another great bit of help from you all

Thats the one i read.

Thanks guys, yet another great bit of help from you all

your welcome mate. just prepare yourself for that bottom bolt i found her a right bitch to get both on and off.

and it didnt help dropping that same bolt in between the alternator and the air con compressor unit - now that was an even bigger bitch to get out!!

let us know how you get on. bodge a briskoda DIY would be great!!

your welcome mate. just prepare yourself for that bottom bolt i found her a right bitch to get both on and off.

and it didnt help dropping that same bolt in between the alternator and the air con compressor unit - now that was an even bigger bitch to get out!!

let us know how you get on. bodge a briskoda DIY would be great!!

I did mine just before Christmas in -6 degrees which was not fun, the only hard bit was that bottom bolt!! As as been mentioned it’s a right pain in the bum!!

I also dropped the bolt trying to get it back in and then spent 15 mins trying to retrieve it again!! lol

Magnetic pickup tool is a godsend too to place the bottom bolt back in.

Wow what a good write up !!

I kind of followed it, but all i used was a small socket set with a funny u joint thing on the end for the lower bolt.

Magnetic pick up tool well used and needed !!

The bit i done differently was i disconnected the alternator to make the access to lower bolt easier !!

And in the process found a split pipe that someone had kindly just tapped up !! But on inspection the hose was full of rubbish.

Including driving to the local auto factors an hour and a half.

Great considering my mate just had his leon done for £120!!

A few pics for you

The hose

Where it cam from on the inlet to the green thing (technical or what)

The replacement

Oh and the thermostat is down there !!

Big thanks to Jorily for a speedy delivery and great parts at the fraction of the cost !!

Did mine on Saturday too! Took me about an hour, and wasn't that bad.

Once I'd tied back all the SAIC hoses and the vac plate, access was good. I didn't have to remove the rad hose from the stat housing either, as there is enough movement in the hose. I literally just removed the two bolts, and swapped out the stat and o-ring. My flexi socket helped, but radial clearance on the lower bolt is tight so I had to squeeze my hands in to spin it in and out. It helps that the bolts have a combined 10mm male hex and 5mm female hex head, so you can use an allen key to spin them in and out too. The telescopic magnet came in very handy again, when sliding the bottom bolt in and out.

The only new thing I discovered while reading up before, was that the "bridge" on the stat must be positioned vertically.

I lost about half of the engine coolant doing it! More than I ever expected. It's about a 5litre system, and I had to top up about 2.5litres.

When refilling I had a bit of an air lock behind the stat, so she hit 100degrees before I noticed and removed the reservoir cap and it bubbled out (before then the reservoir level stayed at max). Bit of a dopey moment on account of me being very hungover! Not used to pressurised systems! So when refilling and running the engine, keep the cap off until the level stabilises.

Done a fair few miles since then, and all is well. It's fixed my over-cooling problem so job's a goodun!