Overheating and radiator swap in 302?
#1
11-16-2011, 01:20 PM
Overheating and radiator swap in 302?
I have a 95 f150 302 with 315k on it but the engine had been replaced and only has about 16k on it.
During the summer it started running hot but wasn't "overheating". In Sept I replaced the the water pump and the fan clutch. It seemed to solve the problem for about a week then it would run hot only when I was messing around on the farm not really doing much and when I got on the road the temp would go down. My next option was to change the thermostat but I didn't quite make it that far. A couple of days ago I was driving around the farm and then looked at the temp gauge and it was long past H. So I figured I would limp home and let it cool off and work on it the next day. Well I didn't make it off the farm before something gave way and water started spewing everywhere. Wasn't really sure at the time where the water was coming from but upon a further look a large hole (3-4" diameter) was apparent on the front of the radiator near the top on the passenger side. So obviously now I need a new radiator which gets me to my initial question.
We have an old junked mid 80's model f150 with a 302 that had a new radiator put on it before the engine crapped out. Will this radiator work and are there any worries associated with it since has been out of use for about 10 years? I really don't want to put a whole lot into this truck and would like to use it if at all possible.
Secondly back to the original overheating issue, I plan on putting a new thermostat on it as well when I do all the radiator repairs. Is there anything I'm over looking that could be causing the over heating? After it gets fixed now it will have a new water pump, fan clutch, thermostat and radiator. I would appreciate any input.
During the summer it started running hot but wasn't "overheating". In Sept I replaced the the water pump and the fan clutch. It seemed to solve the problem for about a week then it would run hot only when I was messing around on the farm not really doing much and when I got on the road the temp would go down. My next option was to change the thermostat but I didn't quite make it that far. A couple of days ago I was driving around the farm and then looked at the temp gauge and it was long past H. So I figured I would limp home and let it cool off and work on it the next day. Well I didn't make it off the farm before something gave way and water started spewing everywhere. Wasn't really sure at the time where the water was coming from but upon a further look a large hole (3-4" diameter) was apparent on the front of the radiator near the top on the passenger side. So obviously now I need a new radiator which gets me to my initial question.
We have an old junked mid 80's model f150 with a 302 that had a new radiator put on it before the engine crapped out. Will this radiator work and are there any worries associated with it since has been out of use for about 10 years? I really don't want to put a whole lot into this truck and would like to use it if at all possible.
Secondly back to the original overheating issue, I plan on putting a new thermostat on it as well when I do all the radiator repairs. Is there anything I'm over looking that could be causing the over heating? After it gets fixed now it will have a new water pump, fan clutch, thermostat and radiator. I would appreciate any input.
#2
11-16-2011, 06:49 PM
Running hot, boiling, & losing coolant aren't the same as "overheating". If you overheated the engine, it needs to be rebuilt. If you only boiled out some coolant, you can just repair the cooling system & replace the coolant. Read this:
http://www.fourdoorbronco.com/board/...ead.php?t=5230
If the '80s truck is EFI, its radiator will probably fit & work, ASSUMING it's in decent condition. Leaving a radiator empty for decades doesn't hurt it. Leaving it full for more than 3 can destroy it.
If the radiator exploded, that indicates the cap has failed & isn't venting pressure. Buy a new cap - they're only ~$6.
http://www.fourdoorbronco.com/board/...ead.php?t=5230
If the '80s truck is EFI, its radiator will probably fit & work, ASSUMING it's in decent condition. Leaving a radiator empty for decades doesn't hurt it. Leaving it full for more than 3 can destroy it.
If the radiator exploded, that indicates the cap has failed & isn't venting pressure. Buy a new cap - they're only ~$6.