I ended up getting the entire unit originally, it's just sitting around - gotta install it in the next few weeks as it's getting warmer.

But yeah your thoughts are all correct.

This is about a year old actually - I've since taken / posted pics of both sides of the housing leaking. I also replaced the bleeder tee with a brass unit for $5 that I can "semi-power-bleed" by threading a hose barb into the cap section and using gravity to push the air out. Cuts bleeding time in half or better.

 

What brass unit did you get for $5?

Thanks

 

Nothing specific, just any auto parts store and got a 1/8" NPT tee, two 1/8" hose barbs on either side and a 1/8" NPT plug for the top.

 

Thanks for the insight, I changed out the top cover and o-ring for the thermostat housing on our 2005 LR3. It fit perfectly. I am not sure where the idea that the current part wouldn't fit the 2005 and 2006 models came from. As I tightened the last of the 3 screws, I noticed that it didn't quite firm up completely.......I may have to put in a bolt and nut if it develops a leak. I had the bleeder T on my parts list, which I left at the office and forgot to get one when I went to the dealer. I took off the bleeder cap, got the system bled out and when replacing the bleeder cap......you guessed it, the Bleeder T crumbled, dang. It was about 7 pm, dealer closed, a quick trip to O'reilly's and no bleeder Ts....I ended up getting a brass fuel line insert, for lack of a better description. It was straight with no T, but was the diameter fit the hose so it would have to do. Put it in on a temporary basis and she was good to go. So last night, we were getting ready to go grab some Cinco de Mayo mexican food. My wife had just gotten home with the LR3. I noticed the not so sweet smell of coolant.....Checked my work and all looked good, but there was a slight trace of coolant that had run along the seam of the up-pipe of the top cover. I wiggled the small hose that goes to the bleeder T and it had a small pin sized hole that had been caused by the screw style hose clamp. After dinner, I pulled the hose, trimmed off the offending part and cinched it back together. All is good. Make a note, if you are doing anything with the thermostat or the thermostat housing or connecting hoses......get a BLEEDER T. If you need it, you have it, it you don't, you have an extra in case of an emergency.

cost: $56 top cover, $11 Bleeder T, $4.65 o-ring, local Land Rover Dealer, great customer service in their parts department!

ps I used a small funnel to fill the bleeder T as I was getting the last of the air out of the system, it went over the T but got the job done. Just replacing the top cover of the thermostat housing saved having to bleed out the system.
pps, I only bought the thermostat housing top cover. In hindsight, I should have bought the entire thermostat housing and then used only the top cover and kept the bottom section until I was ready to remove and replace. Removing the thermostat was pretty easy, putting the new one back in was not so much. The new spring was pretty tight and it took some pushing and prodding to get it back in. Also, be careful of the little thimble cap. I didn't have any issues with mine, but I can see how others have run into problems. While installing the thermostat, I took the top cover and placed it on a towel, less chance for the thimble to pop off and roll away

 

Glad you got it done okay. I've lost two. One dropped somewhere in the abyss of the engine bay, and the other one fell into the downpipe @ the t-stat housing.