Just a guide to fitting new thermostat and replacing antifreeze in the Fiesta fitted with the 1.3 Endura-E OHV lump.
Because the heater valve had failed I drained and flushed out the cooling system as new heater valves dislike dirty coolant plus any disturbances of the hoses & thermostat etc normally cause flakes and rust particles to dislodge and float about. (these engines use iron block & head)
I also fitted a new thermostat as the old one was showing signs of failing in open position which was making engine run cooler than it needed. The cool running engine affected fuel economy which had dropped to 41 mpg from 46.6mpg. Plus the thermostat housing leaked which dripped onto number one spark-plug which started to rust around the plug which then absorbed water which then affected plug operation plus made it difficult to remove. Spark plugs can seize solid in these iron heads (Something to think about if your Endura-E Fiesta or Ka has coolant leaks from thermostat).
Although not shown in the video, I added coolant straight into the head before thermostat was fitted so I knew head & block had coolant present. Easy to add coolant this way as the thermostat is mounted horizontally which means you just add antifreeze until level reaches just below where ‘stat sits. Then once ‘stat housing is secured, you slowly add coolant into reservoir in usual way. Another method is to wedge the thermostat open with dissolvable tablet which allows coolant to flow into engine when filling. Some thermostats have small bleed holes which helps filling but also allows some coolant to flow in the event that it fails in closed position. A thermostat that has failed shut means hot coolant from block & head cannot flow to radiator for cooling. Another reason to look after your car’s cooling system.
Post time: Jun-13-2017