i had to change my t-stat saturday. i worked for 4 hours on it and couldn't get the short bolt to start, the dang water pump is in the way. i thought it started on a couple of threads, so i got my socket and started to wrench away. it got about half way and stoped. i stripped the threads on the intake. i got another from a friend with a mustang(it was his stock one from a 93 mustang gt). how can i do this next time without stripping it again. i changed it cuz i was sitting at work friday morning when it overheated, spitting coolant everywhere. i put a 180 degree on it. it is still overheating at idle. when i get to driving down the road, it drops to the "N" on "normal". i am thinking i need a either a water pump or a radiator. :L

Grind down that tab on the water pump that's in the way of that bolt. That's about the only way I can think of to get it in without stripping it. I've used an open end wrench on it with no problems (and that tab still intact).

Good luck.

Check your radaitor and see if the rows are getting clogged. White sh!t all over around the rows. If its not that. my guess is that its a water pump.

i tried to get an open end wrench in there, and i couldn't get it to work. i could turn it about 1/8 of an inch. oh well, i may have to grind it down, or put a mustang water pump on it. a friend that helped me said that his 93 mustang didn't have that type of water pump on it. :L

That's about all you're gonna be able to turn it with the open end - drove me friggin' NUTS, too.

i had to change my t-stat saturday. i worked for 4 hours on it and couldn't get the short bolt to start, the dang water pump is in the way. i thought it started on a couple of threads, so i got my socket and started to wrench away. it got about half way and stoped. i stripped the threads on the intake. i got another from a friend with a mustang(it was his stock one from a 93 mustang gt). how can i do this next time without stripping it again. i changed it cuz i was sitting at work friday morning when it overheated, spitting coolant everywhere. i put a 180 degree on it. it is still overheating at idle. when i get to driving down the road, it drops to the "N" on "normal". i am thinking i need a either a water pump or a radiator. :L
Cooling problem sounds more like a fan clutch to me. About a 1% chance it is water pump. If the outside is turning more than likely the inside is too.

i do need to put a radiator in it. i figured out that i have a small leak somewhere, and i was low on coolant. i think i got that all fixed up. that fan clutch works. that fan is pulling sooooo much air, it isn't funny. :L