V6 thermostat

oz3litre · #1 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 05:00 AM

My 3 litre needs a new thermostat and so far it looks like we have to get one from Alfa at a cost of $120! Ouch! The guy from The Spare Place here in Adelaide has been told that one from a 164 can be fitted to the 75, despite the different orientation of the engines, and he is going to check it against a 75 one he has on an old motor at home tonight. The 164 one is only $40 and he has them in stock.
Does anyone have experience with 75 thermostats?

**Alex Csank** · #2 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 05:06 AM

Here in the USA, the 2.5 and 3.0 thermostats are available for $27.90 from Ianternational Auto Parts. You would need to re-use the thermostat housing and would probably want to replace the bolts in the housing ($1.80 each - needs 3). I'm pretty sure that you can have one shipped to you from here.

oz3litre · #3 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 05:13 AM

So does that mean you can remove the thermostat from the housing? The 164 one looks like it is all one unit. I haven't taken mine off yet because we need the car while I have the 33 struts off.

**Alex Csank** · #4 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 05:51 AM

I believe that the factory replacement is the whole housing. You can remove the thermostat from the housing and replace it keeping the housing, but you will have to replace the thermostat screws.

oz3litre · #5 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 06:02 AM

Thanks very much for the info Alex. Sorry to ask so many questions. Is the the thermostat common to other brands of cars and if so which ones?

JoeCab · #6 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 08:38 AM

You would NOT want to use a 164 thermostat as they have a different opening temperature.

Joe

**MitchW** · #7 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 10:51 AM

The problem is that none of the aftermarket thermostat's I've tried on my Verde fully close. I'm currently running the Zat 165 degree thermostat and I made sure that the housing was clean and the thermostat seated but it still takes forever to warm up.

I've still got the OEM one but it tends to stick open or closed at inopportune times.

**Alex Csank** · #8 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 11:44 AM

My thermostats (in my Milanos and GTV6 4 total) all work fine. I have changed two of them and the rest are probably aftermarket too. All Alfas take a long time to warm up because of the large oil capacity. Just drive them carefully and don't exceed about 3000 RPM until they get warm and theoil pressure drops to normal levels.

slyalfa · #9 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 01:18 PM

you have to be kidding. the V6 heatsup superfast. and I think they all could use a oil cooler.
mine get warm so that the heater starts to heat by the time I drive out the parking lot. and it is just getting to full temp by the time I hit the freeway a few blocks away. the oil take a lot longer to heat then over heat(the normal state in a alfa) as I get see just watching my oil PSI drop.
if you want slow to heatup try a 68 toyota 4cyl or almost any 4cyl they seem to be still comming up to temp just as I shutthem down after driving to work.
I rember I would start my 68 in the winter and let it run for a 1hrs in the driveway to get it so the windows would defrost. just way too much iron for 2L of displacment.
I love the 75 in the winter as it seems to have instant heat + the heated seats

I think the only car I have seen with better heat was one that used the A/C in revirse so the cold was put outside and the heat inside untill the car warmed.
now that was real instant heat.

JoeCab · #10 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slyalfa

you have to be kidding. the V6 heatsup superfast. and I think they all could use a oil cooler.

Fritzi · #11 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MitchW

The problem is that none of the aftermarket thermostat's I've tried on my Verde fully close. I'm currently running the Zat 165 degree thermostat and I made sure that the housing was clean and the thermostat seated but it still takes forever to warm up.

I've still got the OEM one but it tends to stick open or closed at inopportune times.

JoeCab · #12 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fritzi

'had the same experience - ordered the replacement insert from IAP just because Centerline was out of stock and threw it out after 1 week and returned it to IAP.

slyalfa · #13 (**permalink**) 04-21-2006, 12:29 AM

Keep the old thermostats they can be milled to take a normal thermostat like I run.
I posted this before it is very easy to do if you have a mill.

strange this never used to happen why is it showing the unformatted images?

oz3litre · #14 (**permalink**) 04-21-2006, 08:27 AM

Thanks slyalfa. What type (ie what do you mean by "normal") and temp range thermostat do you use?

JoeCab · #15 (**permalink**) 04-21-2006, 09:15 AM

Sly,

How do you bleed the system with your housing? It looks like the bleeder hole is blocked by the gasket.

Joe