Radiator/Cooling System Maintenance ("While I'm In There...")

[XanRules]

Hello all,

Just like my previous threads of "what to do while I'm in there..." I am, at some point, going to be replacing my cooling system just for longevity reasons in the near future as the car is coming up on 9 years/90k miles.

I have already replaced the coolant expansion tank and those hoses, I think it was either last year or the year before, just because they exploded on me.

My thinking is to replace the radiator and the two main radiator hoses (part numbers KM5220 and KM5218). Is there anything else that needs to be replaced?

I also see an "overflow" hose listed on RockAuto (KM6551) but I can't figure out where that would go, and then it looks like the "Air Aspiration" (KM5421) and the "Degas Feed" hose (KM5383). KM5421 looks like one of the expansion tank hoses I replaced last year, but I can't figure out where KM5383 would go or if I would need to do that, too. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Should I do the thermostat (Motorcraft 180 degree) while I am in there, or is that an entirely separate task that will not be made any easier by doing it while replacing the radiator hoses?

Thanks again as always! Pretty soon it's gonna be like a whole new car, and then I am sure someone will run a red light and t-bone me right after this is all done.

 

[Grsemky]

Hello all,

Just like my previous threads of "what to do while I'm in there..." I am, at some point, going to be replacing my cooling system just for longevity reasons in the near future as the car is coming up on 9 years/90k miles.

I have already replaced the coolant expansion tank and those hoses, I think it was either last year or the year before, just because they exploded on me.

My thinking is to replace the radiator and the two main radiator hoses (part numbers KM5220 and KM5218). Is there anything else that needs to be replaced?

I also see an "overflow" hose listed on RockAuto (KM6551) but I can't figure out where that would go, and then it looks like the "Air Aspiration" (KM5421) and the "Degas Feed" hose (KM5383). KM5421 looks like one of the expansion tank hoses I replaced last year, but I can't figure out where KM5383 would go or if I would need to do that, too. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Should I do the thermostat (Motorcraft 180 degree) while I am in there, or is that an entirely separate task that will not be made any easier by doing it while replacing the radiator hoses?

Thanks again as always! Pretty soon it's gonna be like a whole new car, and then I am sure someone will run a red light and t-bone me right after this is all done.

What year is your FiST? My '18 came factory with an 180⁰ stat and just upgrading my radiator was enough to keep me below 208⁰ even while idling with AC on in the desert...

 

[Stubborn Approach]

I recommend the Gates 180 thermostat which already comes installed in a housing vs the OEM thermostat. I did it at the same time as the radiator but you are coming up on the timing belt/water pump interval, so you could hold off to do it then instead.

 

[XanRules]

What year is your FiST? My '18 came factory with an 180⁰ stat and just upgrading my radiator was enough to keep me below 208⁰ even while idling with AC on in the desert...

2017.

I recommend the Gates 180 thermostat which already comes installed in a housing vs the OEM thermostat. I did it at the same time as the radiator but you are coming up on the timing belt/water pump interval, so you could hold off to do it then instead.

That's kind of what I was thinking, that I could hold off until then. In looking at the directions it seems like it's not really a "while doing the radiator" thing like it is on some cars, but rather a "while doing the belts" thing.

 

[Grsemky]

You might already have a lower temp thermostat from factory... Maybe see if there's a different part number for pre '16