Thermostat — parts and replacement

Tags: #thermostat · #part-number · #mazda-6-compat · #ford-compat

Part numbers and alternatives. Factory FAW thermostat part number 1306010-37K fits the Besturn X80; seen for sale at kitzapchasti.ru and autocraft-kzn.ru for 1,490 RUB (Naberezhnye Chelny, RU market, priced 2025-03-29), with national courier (TK) delivery.¹ Original-part availability is reported poor in many regions, so aftermarket/cross-platform parts are widely used: Luzar LT-1025 (82°C) is the community-preferred aftermarket unit — matches factory opening spec, vs. the visually similar LT-1026 which opens at 90°C (wrong for X80, easy to mis-order).² A TEMB thermostat (82°C) has also been listed, though one owner went through 3 different thermostat units in one year with persistent overheating before switching. The Mazda 6 GG (2002–2008) thermostat — example part PATRON PE21129, OEM 1374191 — is confirmed working on the X80 across both pre-restyling and restyling body versions; one owner reports 40,000 km of trouble-free use on it.³⁴

Location and access. Thermostat sits at the front of the engine, right side, near the intake manifold. Reported access approaches, in rough order of how they're discussed in the community (methods conflict on how much disassembly is truly required — document both): - Full intake manifold removal — the "safe/complete" approach; labor-intensive, and the right lower housing bolt is blocked by the manifold, making blind removal without it very difficult.⁵ - GUR (power steering pump) removal instead of full manifold removal — reported as simpler/faster by one mechanic, though the intake manifold may still need to be removed or at least relocated to reach the housing even with this approach.⁶ - Side approach via the timing-belt (ГРМ) area — avoids manifold removal but is fiddlier.⁵ - One later report states thermostat replacement does not require removing the intake manifold or throttle body at all — just a coolant drain (~8 L) — though this may reflect a different bolt sequence/tooling than the "manifold removal" reports above; readers should expect some trial-and-error depending on their specific engine bay layout and tool access.⁷

Regardless of access route, a fresh gasket/sealing ring should be prepared, and it must sit correctly and not be pinched on reassembly to avoid future leaks.⁵

Common failure notes. Thermostats frequently fail (rupture) from repeated heat cycling — described as normal wear rather than a design flaw; budget 2–4 hours for the job even if experienced.⁸ A seized/degraded rubber sealing gasket on the inside of the thermostat is a common failure mode found on teardown.⁹ AliExpress-sourced thermostats have shown unclear or worn temperature markings on the housing — verify the stamped spec (visible on the back of the unit when removed) rather than trusting the listing.³

Replacement procedure tips. Remove the cooling fans first for access to the housing. Prepare tie-down straps/cable ties to re-secure loose components after reassembly. Properly re-secure the heat exchanger bracket ("паук") with its bolts. Reinstall the A/C sensor/block carefully. While the area is open, it's a convenient time to clean the fuel-mixture sensor. Note the hydraulic (power-steering) cooler is harder to remove than the thermostat itself, if that route is taken.¹⁰ Bleeding air from the system after the job is nontrivial — several methods have been tried with mixed success: bleeding via the rear heater line, tilting the vehicle, elevating the front, or running normal idle.⁹ Air conditioning intake manifold gaskets should be inspected at high mileage (45,000+ km) but are often still fine at 50,000 km and don't need automatic replacement.⁷ Some thermostat units ship with metal washers/caps at the mounting points, others without — verify against OEM spec before assuming a part is missing.⁷

Luzar LT-1025 — price and cross-model detail. Confirming and adding detail to the Luzar LT-1025 recommendation above: Luzar thermostats work reliably on the X80 for multiple community members, priced roughly 2,000–3,000 RUB (RU market, September 2025). The specific LT-1025 model is cross-referenced as a Ford Mondeo '07 / Mazda CX-7 2.3i / 2.5i, 82°C, plastic housing unit and is available via Ozon.^11121314 One owner who had overheating and had replaced three thermostats within a year suspected the new units opened the large cooling circuit poorly; on the advice of reviews he fitted a Luzar LT-1025 and it seemed fine so far, though he was still watching it. He recommends no particular brand, saying results vary, and the LT-1025 had only been tested for a short time.¹⁵

Professional replacement service cost and DIY step notes. Professional thermostat replacement costs approximately 3,500 RUB (RU market, October 2025). DIY replacement is described as genuinely challenging. Failure symptoms recap for triage before you start: small-loop dead (engine runs cold), large-loop dead (cabin runs cold), or lower hose cold while the heater blower still runs. Key procedural steps beyond what's covered above: remove the fan shroud first for access, use a small ratchet with an extension for the manifold bolts, replace all hose clamps rather than reusing old ones, and don't forget the vent tube (сапун) on the manifold — easy to miss and a source of leaks if left off.^161718192021

Fan-removal access route — corroborating and comparing with intake-manifold removal. A second, independently reported access method: the thermostat can be replaced either by removing the intake manifold, or by removing both cooling fans instead. The fan-removal route is described as more convenient and less likely to cause hand injuries from sharp edges compared to manifold removal — a useful data point favoring the fan-removal side of the access-method debate above. After removal, place cardboard under the radiator core to protect the cooling fins from damage during the job.²²²³

PS-pump-removal access route — second confirming report. Two alternative access methods restated with an explicit preference: Method 1 — remove the intake manifold (may also require replacing the intake manifold gasket depending on its condition). Method 2 — remove the power-steering pump instead, reported as the simpler approach requiring fewer additional part replacements. This corroborates the GUR/PS-pump-removal route already noted above as a faster alternative to full manifold removal.²⁴²⁵

Thermostat-housing leak under the intake manifold — a distinct leak mode from gasket sizing. Coolant leaking from the thermostat housing located under the intake manifold (hard to access) has a common specific cause: a mounting prong that pushes out the OEM gasket. Fix: use a Patron thermostat (Ford Mondeo 2.3-compatible, 82°C spec) with a new gasket — or first confirm the leak's exact source, since a tee junction on a nearby cooling line can produce the same symptom. Note a wiring gotcha: connector type can differ between OEM (3-pin) and some aftermarket units (2-pin) — check compatibility before ordering. Live disagreement on root cause in this specific report: housing-gasket failure vs. a tee-junction leak vs. a blocked drain tube were all raised as candidates; the recommendation was to pin down the exact leak source before committing to a housing replacement.^262728293031

OEM availability, pricing, and counterfeit risk. The original FAW thermostat is only available in limited quantities; when found, it costs about 1,800 RUB (May 2026, RU market). Many aftermarket units sold through Wildberries, Ozon, and AliExpress are reported as counterfeits — several users report failures at low mileage that suggest fake parts rather than a genuine design flaw. Recommendation: verify the source carefully before ordering from these marketplaces, or use one of the proven cross-brand alternatives documented elsewhere on this card.³²³³³⁴

Opening-temperature spec restated, with an alternate part number and a Chinese-analog reliability caveat. X80 thermostats open at 82–83°C. An alternate compatible part number: L33615170. Factory (OEM) thermostats are themselves described as unreliable in this report, and most replacements available are noname Chinese analogs — even when one specific batch/unit works well, a vendor may ship a different (and possibly inferior) unit on a repeat order of the "same" listing, so don't assume consistency across orders from the same seller.³⁵³⁶³⁷

Internal rubber ring seal — a known defect, with a field workaround. The X80 thermostat ships with an internal rubber seal ring that can deform/bend over time (observed as early as ~20,000 km), preventing the thermostat from closing fully and causing excess coolant circulation and temperature irregularities. Field workaround: remove the internal rubber ring before installation — removing it does not cause a coolant leak, since the thermostat's metal-to-metal seal at that location is adequate on its own. (Live clarification recorded in the original thread: an initial question about whether metal-on-metal alone would leak was resolved — the ring in question is this internal one, not the external housing seal.)^383940414243

Cross-brand compatibility — Mazda 6 GG and Ford, with brand-reliability rankings. X80 thermostats are cross-compatible with Mazda 6 GG and Ford models (an independent confirmation from the other Telegram group, complementing the Mazda 6 GG unit already documented above). Community brand rankings from this report: Motorad — durable, ran about 4,000 RUB (RU market, roughly two years before this January 2026 report); SAT — confirmed reliable for 3+ years. Avoid Luzar per this report — failed within 6 months, with multiple independent failures reported here (a live disagreement with the generally positive Luzar mentions elsewhere on this card — document both). OEM FAW thermostats are separately criticized in this thread for poor gasket quality.^{44454647484950515253545556}

Media

AliExpress thermostat with engraved opening-temperature marking, photographed for verification before installation

Second AliExpress thermostat unit with unclear/worn temperature marking on housing

Third AliExpress thermostat, comparison angle showing housing shape and markings

Back side of a removed thermostat showing the stamped opening-temperature marking, used to verify true spec vs. listing claim

Video of thermostat disassembly showing the internal spring-loaded valve mechanism, metal disc, and the rubber gasket seal being inspected for degradation

Video frame of a thermostat mounting point showing 3 bolt holes, one of which is missing its metal washer — raised as a question about whether the washer is required

Photo showing the thermostat's damaged/bent internal rubber ring seal, the defect responsible for incomplete closing

Photo of a cross-compatible thermostat showing its internal valve mechanism, part of the Mazda 6 GG/Ford compatibility discussion

Second comparison photo of a thermostat product referenced during the brand-recommendation discussion

Third photo in the same thermostat brand-comparison sequence

Related pages

• Thermostat — part number and replacement cost
• Radiator — Mazda cross-compatibility and parts
• Front upper control arm — squeak and parts
• Front suspension overhaul with Mazda 6 parts
• Lower control arm — wear and aftermarket parts

Sources

This page is compiled from 56 community messages. Every fact carries a numbered reference to its original author and message.

Last updated: 2026-10-29