Having an ongoing issue with my 2wd thermostat not operating properly. I bought an 82deg one from MSD and it was faulty, as it was sticking open. The replacement they sent is now doing the oposite and sticking closed.
Can someone confirm which way the stat goes into the housing. Mine have always been fitted as per picture 1 and never had an issue before.....



or

 

The first picture is wrong, the second picture is right. The spring should be facing into the head. If I remember right, the stat has an arrow to remind you before you bolt it up

When refitting use a re-usable cometic gasket.

 

Are you sure, I know the 4wd stats fit with the sping inwards, but the the workshop manual show the 2wd stat the other way round. Got no arrows on these ones, and the original one came out as in picture 1.

 

If you give some thought to how it senses the temperature of the water it should be obvious mate...

 

So which picture is correct then, picture 2? The stat came out fitted as in picutre 1 and never had a problem before. Also, just looked at my mates workshop manual which shows it as in picture 1 also

 

Which page of the workshop manual, I want to see The Haynes book of lies tells the truth, ironically, so I've got to see Ford's little whoopsie to believe it.

The stat's there to make sure water doesn't get INTO the rad until the coolant's hot enough to warrant cooling down again. Water goes into the rad at the top, and out of the rad at the bottom...

 

I rang a friend who looked in his workshop manual and said the spring end sits inside the housing and the domed end sat in the engine side He might have just finished a few scoobies though

 

definitely spring and wax stat inside of the head, otherwise how would it know when to open?

 

Personally I'll be impressed if you manage to fit it without modifying or ditching the rubber seal.

 

Be impressed , ive had 3 of them fitted the wrong way Who ever put the engine together before me must have a obsession with fitted things back to front as they did the same with the thrust washers on the crank and fucked the bottom end. The weird thing is it ran perfectly fine for 2k miles until I decided to put a lower temp stat in it.

Just been out in it for 40 mins and its fine after changing it around...... funny that