[s-cars] Thermostat Replacement

[Dave Forgie]

FINALLY (and I mean FINALLY) go around to changing my thermostat
(crapped out in April) today.  (I haven't been driving the car very
much).  I drained the rad as much as possible but still had some leakage
when I pulled the failed thermostat out.  The brass frame had failed at
the top joint (broken even before I started pulling it out).

I installed the new thermostat with the frame vertical (as the old one
was) with a new O-ring. (I didn't test the thermostat to see if worked
in "boiling" water first - I may be sorry).  I hand tightened both bolts
before starting to snug them down.  The lower (rear) one was no problem
with a 12" extension.  However, I don't feel as if I have the upper
(front) bolt tight enough (despite using a 6 point socket, a universal
joint and an extension to the rachet located above the PS pump).

THE QUESTION:

Can you get a "snubby" rachet with a short extension to get a direct (no
universal) shot at the upper (front) bolt.

TIA

Dave F.