[Vwdiesel] thermostat blues

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/27/2006 12:52:54 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
db53248 at alltel.net writes:

> I think my thermostat was stuck closed. I pulled off the lower hose and 
> only
> a dribble of coolant came out. I tried to remove the thermostat housing but
> snapped off one of the screws. Plenty of coolant came out of the radiator.
> Does anyone know any tricks for removing screw stubs from the water pump
> housing w/o removing the housing from the engine of the Caddy? I've doused
> it with PB Blaster and plan to grab the stub with vice grips and try tapping
> it loose. 
> 

  If your thermostat HAD been open it'd mean that scalding hot water 
would be running down your arm and into your face (more or less).
You didn't actually pull the hose with the engine above running temp 
did you?  Anything below that and the stat would be closed or close 
to it.
  Best solution I've found for a broken bolt in those aluminum housings 
is heated to orange with a torch and then Vise Gripping them out.  
Sometimes you need to back out a bit, go back in, back out and so on.
     Loren