Alternative plastic kv6 thermostat longevity
 

Hi all, KIA thermostat and DMGRS thermostat are the plastic alternatives to the OEM kv6 thermostat . Have people used them and what is the max life you got out of them?
Many thanks Chris.

5 years "so far" from an aftermarket thermostat (Cant remember the make) fitted to my 2.0 V6 in 2012

Kev :)

Not only age can affect that, I imagine. Number of miles, number of cold/hot heat cycles etc.

Member 'kaiser' used to do an alloy one which doesn't fail. I have one on one of my V6's.
Don't know if he can still supply them?

David

Hello Chris,

After much research and testing of theories I am certain that the thermostat housing is not the component which fails. It is the 'O' rings which flatten and leak. I have proved this by successfully refitting the original housing with new 'O' rings. The cause of the 'O' ring failure has been harder to determine until I made two discoveries.

• The Chinese have modified the MGR thermostat housing to include three stabilising legs. Unfortunately due to current exchange rates these appear to be no longer available in the UK since it is cheaper to buy unmodified housings from the EU.
• I worked out the purpose of the strange toothed clips on the straight pipe. Although it is not mentioned in the workshop manual, I believe that it is vital that these are pushed outwards to their fullest extent after assembly to prevent movement and subsequent wear of the 'O' rings.

I am currently running my car having implemented the above changes. My advice is to renew the 'O' rings and ensure that the plastic clips are refitted as described. There is no need to renew the thermostat housing itself since many KV6 owners have not suffered any coolant leakage at all.

Simon

I think you'll find that it certainly IS in many if not most cases.

David

Thanks for all of the replies as this is a general question. I am on my 12 year of ownership and on my second thermostat and just wondered 1, if people have used the alternatives and 2, how good they are. I did buy a metal thermostat BUT I have a big problem, I have put it in a safe place for the rainy day BUT have forgotten where that safe place is.

That's interesting. Have you a link or reference to the KIA stat?

TC

I guess you've answered your own question in part. The original/OEM ones lasted 6 years each for you, so why look elsewhere and take a risk?
Using the alloy one (if you can find it!) doesn't count as a risk though, I think.

David

HI Simon.
They should still be available this is where I purchased mine from back in 2014 when i discovered and fitted one of these more stable thermostats to my V6, after an original thermostat fitted during my belt change and thermostat on the 21/01/12 which had only covered approx 3,700 miles only lasted about 24 months.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-ROVER-....c100011.m1850


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-75-....c100011.m1850

Link to how it all went down ;) Arctic.
https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...1&postcount=27

Part Two.
https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...1&postcount=32

Part Three
https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...3&postcount=35

Hi, found the reference in the Tec section/interchangeable parts thread
page 6, thread 55.