I replaced the thermostat in my 89 Nissan Maxima. The old thermostat was stuck open. The coil end was in toward the engine, but when I went online the showed me a 93 Maxima thermostat replacement with the coil end facing the thermostat housing. I called my mechanic and asked him what I should do, he told me to put it back the way I took it out, but he wasn't sure either because someone else replaced the thermostat in my max, and he could of done it the wrong way. My mechanic said on reverse flow engines the coil end of the spring faces the housing, but he told me to face the coild end towards the engine like it was. I didn't listen and got no heat at all, and the thermostat gauge showed the engine as cold even after I had let it run for a good hour and drove it. So I went through the whole process again and put the thermostat in with the coil end facing the engine. When I started adding the fluid again it went to a level were it got full, then I heard leaking, I looked at where the thermostat housing met the engine nothing, the gasket sealer was great, but behind it were the housing connects to another part? There was a crack in it like you would see on cement with antifreeze leaking out. Don't know how that happened just my luck. What is that part called because I will have to order it from the dealer. Does anybody know how to take it out because it is directly in the middle, I don't know how to get to it?

 

I just replaced the t-stat on my 91 and the coil end faces away from the engine and when you were putting it in it might have came out of the housing as you were tightening it, thus causing it to get in a bind and crack as you tightened it tighter. I would suggest looking for one at a salvage yard.

 

Would this be the same for an 89 Nissan Maxima, could be a differnt engine, does anybody know? This looks lik a big job, I have to take out the hole top half of the engine to get to bolts of the engine housing if that's what it is called?

 

I dont think you have to take out the top half to get to the t-stat.

Drain the radiator fluid. Remove the upper rad hose. Then all you need to do is remove the three bolts that bolt the housing down. I need to change mine also, and its been snowing so I havent doen it yet.

go to www.autozone.com and look up the repair guide for your maxima and find the instructions.

Its awkward to get to thats all.

 

I know but I already did this job twice, I cracked the housing located in the engine not the thermostat housing, and the bolts are located on the other side, so far it looks like I have to take out, air collector, fuel line, and intake manifold to get to it, Does anybody know how the thermostat faces in an 89?