One out and one in!!
Managed to do it without taking the fan out, although I can assume that access is easier to swing the spanner/ratchet with the fan removed, but it is possible to do it with it in place - a little paitience is needed with the lowest bolt closest to the block, as this is hidden in amongst things but as I am 6'3" with the Rangie in access, I am just tall enough to lean over the grill/slam panel and get my hand in a position to get my finger tips on to it to undo..!!
General procedure:
- Remove Acoustic Sheild
- Undo Jubilee clips on both ends of the intake ducting
- Remove little pipe from duct ( I couldn't get one of through fear of breaking it, but it was long enogh to allow the duct to be positioned out of the way)
- Unclip the hose to the Stat housing and pull of hose tuck to one side trying not to lose to much coolant!
- Remove multiplug
- Undo 4 bolts on Stat housing
- Tiny tap with the wooden handle of a hammer - off it comes
- Stuff rag up the hole to try and prevent as much coolant loss as possible
- Refit is the reverse!!
I did find a chaffed wire leading to the Stat heating element - I wonder if this is the cause of the odd behaviour, as this element heats the stat up and opens it further to enhance cooling, if it was making intermittant contact, it would be opening and closing the stat just enough to raise then lower the temp (I'm hoping anyway).
Remade the dodgy wire connection with a temp fix until I can splice in a new connector, and refilled with 4 litres of 50/50 coolant mix.
Refilled according to RAVE - Open Bleed screw, keep filling until a stream comes out of bleed screw, tighten and fit cap, run up to temp. Allow to cool and recheck (which I'll do in the morning).
During the run up phase, the temp sat bang on the 12 o'clock position for the 15-20 minutes I left it there with gentle revving up to 2000rpm every so often, and the temp gauge didn't budge.
There is a way on the L322 to get the temp reading in digital on the message display, it read 105degC (which is the stat temp) and didn't move for about 10 minutes so fingers crossed, all is well.
The true test will be the drive to work in the morning.
Curious to note though is the old stat is light brown in colour - is this normal?? or has an additive been added at some point?? (pic attached).