i'm changing the thermostat and the thermostat housing is "welded" together by the silicon. should i just use a heat gun to soften the silicon gasket or use brut force or any suggestions.

very minor problem. i know

 

A heat gun won't do much good - consider how hot that part gets on a routine basis, and the fact that even "normal" RTV silicone can take temperatures in excess of 600 degrees F in intermittent service.

Try tapping it gently with a rubber mallet from as many angles as possible. It will probably only take a couple of tries before it "pops" and comes loose.

 

yeah, your just going to have to work with it until it comes off, shouldn't be too hard though, mine came off no problem

 

Flat head Screwdriver.

 

rubber mallet, flat head etc... then scrape it off and put the new one in

 

after you get it off, try one of these to remove the silicone.

 

^exactly! i was too lazy to find a picture... dont scrape into the metal though

 

Welding torch. It'll take it right off!

 

You're retarded

 

rubber mallet did fine, and i just used a razor to clean off the old silicon. it sucks that the reason my s14 was overheated wasn't the thermostat. it was a crack in the coolant hose. damn home depot hoses. =p J/K, kragen hooked it up for $11.99 but they wudn't take back the thermostat that i paid $6.99 for. yea i'm cheap but $6.99 can get u some mighty fine stickers. HA!

 

Keep the new thermostat in there anyways since you took the old on e off already, and don't forget to bleed it well

 

and don't believe in that "take your thermostat out to make it run cooler" BS. Totally untrue.

 

Hahah yeah the thermostat is there for an important reason lol