stupid thermostat question

[elwhitey]

I am trying to swap out my thermastat, expecting to just take a couple of minutes on my '74 Jimmy and I can't seem to get the shield over the alternator off. The bolt that pivots off of the water pump hits the pulley, and with it still on that I can't get it off of the bolt on the them. housing. I shouldn't have to take the pump off should I?

 

[Zeus33rd]

No, you don't have to remove the waterpump. You also shouldn't have to remove any bolts/brackets other than the two bolts that hold the thermostat housing on. Unless your alternator bracket uses one of those bolts as a moutning point.

 

[elwhitey]

Thats the problem. The bracket from the alt. goes over the left housing bolt.

 

[big83chevy4x4]

you will have to remove the bolt for the alternator bracket on the water pump and loosen the upper bolt for the alternator to get it to move enough to get the housing off.

 

[elwhitey]

That is the problem I am running into, the bolt backs up into the pulley on the pump. If I could get it past the pulley it wouldn't be a problem, but that is what is killing me.

 

[big83chevy4x4]

then take the bolt out of the alternator and force it out of the way. otherwords, you need to loosen both the alternator and powersteering pump, AC pump if you have AC, and the fan to get the pulley off to get the bolt out.