I am going to install new pads by myself in the front of my car to provide me with some insurance for a while until I can get all new/rebuilt brakes. How exactly should I go about doing this? Also, my car has never had a problem overheating, but now it does... It goes like this; i turn the car on, and once it gets up to operating temperature it keeps on heating up until it starts blowing coolant out of the expansion tank and onto the exhaust manifold and THEN finally the thermostat opens up. I don't know if the problem is the thermostat or not, but I'm replacing it anyway. Only $6 @ Knecht's autoparts. How should I go about doing this?
Thanks in advance,
Later,
Kyle

Just one more quick comment as to the brakes....might have been covered below... I didn't look too hard.

When you compress the pistons, it is wise to do them one at a time, and have a pad in the other side of the caliper... IF you use the old pads as pushers and go with the big pliers method.... push one pad into the piston wiht the other old pad still in there. Then install new pad that side. THEN compress the other side in the same fashion (this time with a new pad in the opposite side.

If you compress one piston without a pad in the other side of the caliper, it is possible send that other piston out of its bore.... and then you pretty much have to rebuild it...or try to get it back in without wrecking the seal.

And yes, you will cause fluid to leak all over under the master cylinder. You can either drain some of it out, or just put a good rag under the master, and another over the top to absorb the excess fluid that will come out.

-matt

Nothing to add to what the others have said about the brakes, but test the old thermostat, and test the new one of you do need a new one. Then you'll know for sure whether that's the problem or not.

Just throw it in a pot of hot water with a thermometer that goes up to 200 degrees F or so... heat the water, and observe when the 'stat opens. Should be around 180 degrees.

There are a lot of new, but faulty, 'stats out there on the shelves, so be sure to test the new one too.

I haven't been following the saga of your brakes, if there is one, but pads are easy. I don't know your level of expertise, so I'll overkill with words. The following is what I would do, but whatever you do is your own responsibility etc etc.
Jack up the front of the car, put it on stands and remove the front wheels. If there is fluid leak apparent, go no further, and get your calipers rebuilt. Otherwise...
Look at the rear of the caliper. You should see two rods about 3/16"diameter and 4" long (my guesses) going from one side of the caliper to the other, one rod at the top of where the pads sit, the other at the bottom. These rods locate the pads. Note where everything is, so you can reassemble later.
Each rod is held in place with a little clip that go through it. Pull these out with needle nose pliers. Then if the rod has been put in the right way around, get a thinner rod (I use a small + screwdriver), and use a hammer to tap the rod out out. These rods have a small head on them and they should be installed with the rods inboard, which makes it easier to tap them from the outside. However I've come across them installed with the head outside, so then you have to tap them from the inside. Tap slowly and catch the 2 long flat springs before they fly across the garage, never to be found again.
When both rods are out, get a pair of solid pliers on each pad, give it a wriggle and it should come out.
Now grab the new pads. You will have to force the pistons wider to fit the new thicker pads in. I use a long - about a foot? - bit of hardwood about the thickness of the old pad. Insert it between the piston and the disk and lever the pistons out. Watch the fluid reservoir because pushing the pistons out pushes fluid back up, and it may overflow. Eats paint quickly.
Now put the new pads in, then rods and springs and little clips, wheels on and gently test. Check the fluid levels.

Thermostat: Find the thermostat housing. It is the alloy casting on the top of the engine where the radiator hose goes on. Undo and remove the rad hose, and put a bucket underneath to catch all the green coolant. Cheapos (including myself) use it again, through one of those funnels with a mesh filter. Good people put new coolant in.
Undo the 2 1/2"AF bolts holding the housing on and remove the housing. SOmetimes you will see a paper gasket betweent the housing and the block, but I don't believe it is necessary. Pull out the thermostat, noting which way up it goes. There should be a rubber ring around the outside, and you should have got a new one with your new thermostat. Don't be cheap and use the old one, or you'll be doing this again soon.
Get the new thermostat, fit the new rubber ring on it - there is a slot cut inside the ring which lets it sit either side of the flat bit of the thermostat. Put it back in the hole - noting that there is a recess cut in the alloy housing to locate it - bolt everything up, fit the rad hose, fill with coolant, start the motor and check for leaks.

Good luck and enjoy your car.

JohnH

Pads: jack up car and support safely. Remove wheel. Remove the little hairpins keeping the guide pins in place. Use drift or big nail to drive out guide pins. It'll be obvious which side has a head - you drift it out from the other side naturally. Slide out pads. Depending on how old they are this might take a bit of work. Using a large pliers to move the pads out a bit (thereby compressing the piston and giving you more wiggle room) often helps. Now compress the piston further. There are special tools for this, but I usually use a big screwdriver or pry bar. Take care not to damage the piston boots or disk surface. I place the tip of the pry tool all the way to the hub.

Once the pistons are in, you can slide the new pads in, reinstall guide pins and hairpins, front wheel and lower car. It helps to thoroughly clean the guide pins, pad space inside the caliper, etc (wire brush for example), and give the guide pins and pad edges (NOT, I repeat NOT the friction surface) and back a good coating of copper grease.

Thermostat: drain cooling system by undoing bottom radiator hose, undo 2 screws holding T-stat housing in place, remove old thermostat, insert new thermostat with new O-ring (should come with the t-stat), and refill cooling system. It's self-purging, so over the next couple of hours of operation you will need to top it up a couple of times.

I have doubt, though, if this is your (only) problem. It shouldn't start spraying coolant just because of a bad T-stat. If it doesn't fix your problem start suspecting the head gasket (which may have been damaged by overheating, so that new T-stat should go in anyway).

Bram

The coolant just comes out of the top of the expansion tank because the fluid gets so hot that it expands. There isn't any other coolant leaks though. Thanks for the info guys! I'm sure I'll have fun!
Later,
Kyle

Bram,

I must havve been writing my answer as you were writing yours. I admire your conciseness!

JohnH