My new baby

[jimay3677]

It has magenta oat coolant and I'd be flushing it. But I am planning to call ford tomorrow and find out what brand they used so I can just top it up. Clic r pliers are for the alfa hose clamps

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[colcol]

Clik r pliers i have never heard of before, but i checked it up on you tube and now i know, when i replaced the thermostat on my 156 cut off all the clik r hose clamps and replaced them with Tridon stainless steel hose clamps, as i am more likely to have a screwdriver than a set of clik r pliers, when i break down somewhere, [actually there is a screwdriver in the 156 tool kit], looks like there is another tool i have to buy, see reading this Forum learns you up on things!, thanks, Colin.

[jimay3677]

haha. I was think just cut the clips off and replace with screw type clamps and then realised how many there are on the car. It's probably cheaper to buy the $20 tool.
They can't be as bad as those horrible spring clips on japanese cars, those I hate with a passion.

[four90s]

Hey Guys,

Undo the fancy clips with sidecutters (from the side) and when you put them back on, slip them into place and use square nose pliers on the top to clip the end back over.

I've just replaced an afm on a 156 and that process worked fine.

Cheers
Steve
Adelaide

P.S. Colin, nice to meet up at Spettacolo.

[colcol]

RACV and the like hate these clips, when they get called out and find one, they usually cut them off and use a worm drive hose clamp.....according to urban rumours, i decided, i will need to change a hose a thousand kilometres from home, when i haven't got my clickety clack.
Screwdrives are easier to use, as you can access the worm clamp from the top and don't have to come in from the side, and as the hose gets old and weeps, you can nip it up easily with a screwdriver, but up to now i didn't know of the click r pliers and hose clamps.
Mr. four 90's it was good to catch up with you as well, that shows the true love of the Marque by driving interstate to see a car show

[Cool Jesus]

You know, you can reuse the coolant? Catch it in a clean container or bucket, then use an old cloth of sorts to filter it back into your system. Just a though, considering you've just paid a premium for new coolant. Of course this is irrelevant if your flushing the system jimay.

[jimay3677]

Yeah I've considered reusing and think I will. I did that with oil once before when I resealed a sump which used a silicon sealant. As soon as I screwed on the oil cap I realised I didn't allow the sealant to cure lol. Out came the oil into a clean oil pan
Off came the sump pan again..

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[Cool Jesus]

D'oh.

Just to qualify the reuse of fluids, I just want to add one would only reuse fluid that is fairly fresh and serviceable.  No double dipping old or unknown quality, that's false economy in my book.

[jimay3677]

Agreed. If the coolant hadn't just been replaced I'd be dumping it

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[jimay3677]

Well, I changed my thermostat today, was very easy, I had no trouble getting the hoses off or getting to the 13mm bolts like some people mentioned, I replaced a few of the hose clamps but others had already been replaced.

The old thermostat was closed much to my surprise. The head and hoses showed no signs at all of corrosion or scaling, the head was a shiny silver alloy colour inside! I'm inclined to think it was the original stat as it had the VISA E clamps on the big hose, unless someone put a VISA E back on which seems unlikely.
The new stat was the same as the old one (Behr)

I decided screw it and dumped all the old coolant then ran the garden hose into the hoses and head until clear water came out then I used Penrite AFAB 6 year concentrate and distilled water, I didn't want to use Nulon red despite it being cheaper as it doesn't specify the fiat compliance (can't remember the number) whereas the Penrite does, Nulon also don't list it as a recommended fluid so it's probably best to avoid it in my opinion.

It's now running at around 70 degrees at 100k and around town it sits just below 90, the heater now works too.
I took the time to attack the MAF sensor with contact cleaner while I had it all apart.

Tomorrow I'm dumping the crapnatec oil and replacing with Penrite 5w-60

[Cool Jesus]

For there to be no slug or scale, that's awesome. It gives you peace of mind that it has been serviced. Speaking of which, those clamps are normally replace by the proper Alfa workshops, so again the service history wins. Yeah, I too would have flushed, if anything it ensures it's been done. You should also start keeping a folder to keep all your receipts and work up a service table for your own service record. It helps when your trying to remember what and when you did something and heaven forbid should you wish to part with her!
Both my Alfas had no history until they came to my stable, I can now tell anyone everything that's been done, no matter how minor.

[jimay3677]

Oops. I just received my contract for free 36 month 60, 000k warranty which says all repairs and servicing is to be done by them.

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[colcol]

The engine won't seize through using the wrong oil, it will seize by running it out of oil,.....but if you use Castrol Magnatec 10 - 40, mineral oil, then its the wrong oil, as it should be 10 - 60 fully synthetic racing oil, it will burn more, as it is too thin, how would they know you changed the thermostat?, oh because its working properly, it must be less than 12 months old, Colin.

[jimay3677]

Lol.. yeah they won't know. I was just giving an example about the engine seizing they stated I need to take it for a service in 12 months or 15000k in which time I will have changed oil twice and they said I can provide the oil and filter at service time.

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[colcol]

I cannot beleive how the thermostats in these stuff up, the thermostat in the 33 lasted 20 years, and will still going strong until i decided to change it for a colder one.
Apparantly the thermostats in Vectra's and Astra's stuff up as well like Alfa 147's and 156's except you have to pull half the cylinder head off to change one, so its not all bad in Alfa land, Colin.