Thank you OP and everyone who contributed. I replaced my thermostat, coolant sensor and breather valve while in there.
As a amateur DIYer..this job was a lot easier than I originally thought. From start to finish it took me under 5 hours (that’s taking breaks and taking my time).
-Plenum removal (my first time) was easy with 4” and 8” extensions. The two bolts in the back was not that bad as long as you get down eye level..you can see where your 6mm socket is going.
- I siphoned coolant from reservoir using transfer pump I bought at Harbor freight for $7.
- Thermostat removal, I scraped off all the rubber part from the old one with a skinny pick and a razor blade - thermostat popped out with light pull
- my 4 gaskets that go to back two tubes were completely shot, make sure you replace those. Used coolant to lube up the gaskets and housing for easy insertion lol
- our cooling system is self air bleeding. I topped off coolant, put cap back on, went for a 20 minutes drive, parked the car, waiting for it to cool off, released the coolant reservoir cap and all the air escaped
- adjustable mechanic chair made this job much, much easier on my back. You can do this whole diy sitting down
Oh and I saved over $700.
