New car: Overheating Issues
 

Hey! i'm new to the whole forum stuff but i was wondering if you could help me out. i'm planning on buying an 1986.5 supra 7M-GE it looks in good shape the guy says it runs great and shifts great. but he said and i quote "it needs a little bit of work, the thermostat needs to be replaced cuz it overheated and i've had it parked since" is it possible that it overheated from the thermostat? also is there anything i should ask him or look for when i go pick it up? was also thinking that if it is the thermostat would i be able to bypass (remove) it temporarily to drive it home with no damage to the engine? and if possible could you send me a picture of the location of the thermostat and direction on how to remove it? Thanks!

It is possible that it overheated from the thermostat being stuck closed (that's what happened to my first one). However, since I didn't catch it quick enough the overheating did it's damage and the engine threw a connecting rod shortly later...

When you go look at the car, check the oil and the coolant. If there's any milkiness to the oil, it's likely to have a blown head gasket. Also make sure it has coolant in the radiator and the overflow bottle. Also do a search on here for blown head gasket symptoms and check all of them while you're there. If everything checks out, the thermostat is right behind the upper radiator hose on the engine. Undo 2 bolts to remove it (I think the factory bolts use a 10mm socket). Rather than running with no thermostat, spend the $5 and replace it and the seal

agreed. its far ezier to just replace the thermostat.. the longest part of the procedure is waiting for your anti freeze to drain. the actual install is about 4 minutes.

ok sweet thanks for the advice guys! but whats that about the coolant draining?? i thought i was just changing the thermostat. haha and i already know what to look for when it comes to a BHG. -milky oil -oil in the coolant - obviously white smoke out the exhaust, also rough idle right? and coolant temp spikes?. anythng im missing? haha

Draining the coolant is done so that you can access the thermostat. You don't have to drain it much, just lowering the level below the upper radiator hose. There should be a drain cock towards the bottom of the radiator on the drivers side of the car. That way you can drain it into a bucket and not make a puddle for the woodland critters to drink it and die.

yea i drained all of mine. every time i took of my housing some came out. you'll have that. so draining it fully isnt really needed. but be aware that there will be coolant in the line still. just a tad