Pretty sure. It resembled the picture in the RAVE, and it seemed like it would only fit in one way. I installed it so that the copper cylinder is facing into the engine block, where all the warm coolant would be.
The old one just fell out when I popped off the housing, and I didn't get a good look at it's orientation.

 

The flat side with the little hump should point towards the radiator. Im sure thats what you did.

Are you sure your belt is routed correctly?

 

I haven't messed with the belt since I bought it about two months ago. So I guess I can't honestly say it's routed correctly, but this a recent problem that it didn't always have. Funny thing is, it ran pretty steady at around 186 when it was hot outside, like 100 degrees for two weeks straight. It didn't start having temp problems until after the weather cooled off!

 

strange.

First check the belt anyways.

Are you measuring temperature with the a/c on? If so and your e fans are broken, this could be causing it.

Third recheck the thermostat?

 

I'll check the belt. I should replace it for good measure anyway.

I did most of the checking with the heater on. But when I was waiting for it to heat up, I turned on the A/C to put a little load on it to try and heat things up quicker, and the fans came on. So far for me, it all points back to the thermostat. I just get the heebie-jeebies when I wind up troubleshooting something right back to the same component I just replaced.

 

Was the thermostat fully open at 190? If it continued opening more as the temp went over 190, you have too hot a thermostat.
In my experience the temp marked on the box is when they start opening, give or take a couple of degrees.
Land Rover wants them fully open at 190.

 

You know that's a good point. In retrospect, I sort of botched the test. At 190ish degrees, the water was beginning to get some convection in it, and I thought it was difficult to see the position of the thing. But maybe I should have gotten the water stabilized at 190, and then dropped the thermostat in.
Correct me if I 'm wrong, but isn't the thermostat supposed to be only half open at whatever the normal operating temp is? That way if the coolant heats up and needs more cooling, the thermostat has some more room to open and let more flow through? So I'm confused. The 190 thermostat is what came up on AZ's computer, and that's what is called for in the RAVE (88' C). Is there a difference between how thermostats are rated in the British world and how the ones are rated that we buy at AutoZone? Do I need to get something different, or just swap the little bastard out?

 

If you read the RAVE manuals carefully, it says "fully open" at 88c. I'm guessing that the way they rate thermostats is different between the US and the UK. Here it seems the given temp is when it starts to open.
I went with a 180 and it's fully open at about 185-190 which corresponds to what Land Rover specs.

 

So then is your normal operating temperature about 185? Mine used to be 186 with the old thermostat.

 

Beats me, all I have right now is the stock gauge.