Alternative thermostat idea

[Diesel_Dave]

So a friend of mine has an old beater of an Audi he's trying to keep limping along. I think it's an A4. For some time now he's been driving it around with a broken thermostat (failed open) for like a year now.

He'd like to fix it, but supposedly, the way the thing it designed, the thermostat is buried underneath practiaclly everything. Note: I know nothing about Audis. The shop he took it to said it'd be like 2 grand to do all the work to fix it. Supposedly he can get the parts for around $450 (I guess you gotta replace the water pump too, as well as all the gaskets). I'm wondering if there's not a cheaper "redneck" fix to this.

I haven't looked at the engine, but it seems to me that you could find a way to insert a thermostat into the radiator hose. I'm thinking he might be able to sandwich a thermostat between two back-to-back pipe floor fanges:

Just use some gasket material and some RTV to seal the joint, then use two NPT-to-hose barb fittings to inset it into the radiator hose.

I had an old Chevy thermostat lying around and the OD of the flange is about 2-3/8" diameeter, which is the same as the OD of a 2" pipe. Since those floor flanges have a small recess on the back side ID. I think it just might work.

I'm thinking this might me a cheap $20 fix, rather than $450 and a whole bunch of work on an old beater. Any thoughts?

[Old Tele man]

...some 'red-neck' engineering -- love it! -- should work (at least until the hose collapses from weight of metal and heat).

[Frank Lee]

I find it hard to believe it's that hard and expensive to replace.

HOWEVER, I'm not familiar with those so if it is that bad perhaps an in-hose thermostat assembly from a '98 Sable would work. Yes, I was surprised to find out on that car that the thermostat lives underneath the engine, in it's own little housing. Never saw anything like that before.

It wouldn't be a good thing to have to continually wonder if the "fix" is going to need fixing.

How to Replace the Thermostat in an Audi A4 | eHow.com

Google

It doesn't sound that bad a job, and no more expensive than any other vehicle. I'd fix it with the "right stuff" in the "right way". Actually it looks like gathering up the "redneck" parts required would cost more than the real stuff.

[Diesel_Dave]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...some 'red-neck' engineering -- love it! -- should work (at least until the hose collapses from weight of metal and heat).

If it does, just grab some wire and support it--that's the redneck engineer way!

[Diesel_Dave]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I find it hard to believe it's that hard and expensive to replace.

HOWEVER, I'm not familiar with those so if it is that bad perhaps an in-hose thermostat assembly from a '98 Sable would work. Yes, I was surprised to find out on that car that the thermostat lives underneath the engine, in it's own little housing. Never saw anything like that before.

It wouldn't be a good thing to have to continually wonder if the "fix" is going to need fixing.

How to Replace the Thermostat in an Audi A4 | eHow.com

Google

It doesn't sound that bad a job, and no more expensive than any other vehicle. I'd fix it with the "right stuff" in the "right way".

Maybe he didn't have an A4. I'm not really sure. He mentioned this video on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JKy5DYhJmc

Supposedly you have to take basically the whole front off the car. Again, I'm not an expert an Audis, so I'm not for sure.

[Frank Lee]

Ooooh. Well, perhaps he can google the procedure and parts hunt as I did. Rock Auto and Summit Racing almost always come through for me.

P.S. Sometimes one has to take the "official" repair instructions with a grain of salt. For instance, "officially" to replace the heater core on a '98 Sable you have to remove the dash- quite a project. Some people online have descibed doing it without removing the dash, saving much time and effort.

I myself ignored the instructions that came with the U-Haul hitch I bought to put on the Sable that said to drop the exhaust system. Say what? I put the dang thing in there without touching the exhaust system just fine. Imagine all the extra work that would have been!

[ron]

If people knew what it cost to replace a thermostat or a water pump on these cars no one would buy one. while you're there you might as well replace timing belt --everything. Like my old grandpa use to say (there made to work not to work on)

[Old Tele man]

...old USN saying sounds appropriate here: "...it's a 'take off your shirt, to take a crap' situation..."

[jakobnev]

"You wouldn't buy a car with the hood welded shut." -- Richard Stallman

Unfortunately you might as well, it's almost like the car industry has learned a thing or two from the software industry.

[ron]

All Navy. Presently with the National Guard, In charge of the turd launchers on post (Plumber) At least my CTD can be worked on, by me and so far I can reach everything .