I inherited a 2003 f150 4x4 supercrew pickup that was parked for 3 years, uh oh... Anyway, it was parked because it kept overheating and his mechanic couldn't find problem. I had the routine things done before trying to recreate the problem. Gas tank dropped, fuel filter changed, oil/filter change, state inspection, radiator flushed and refilled 50/50, thermostat changed just to be on the safe side. oh, it never leaked a drop of antifreeze. My mechanic never could get it to go in the red and to overheat, even after driving it daily and just sitting with it running. I picked up the truck thinking wow, I got a good deal for nothing. Not so fast! It ran for several days just fine, I would say perfectly. Then on a short trip to the grocery 5-7 minutes, it redlined and began to overheat. I stopped immediately. The radiator overflow tank did spew antifreeze. In the overflow tank the antifreeze looks muddy, I guess rust colored. I can understand there being corrosion in the motor because it sat for so long, but the original reason it was parked was for overheating. I'm not sure if I should attempt another flush, clean out the overflow tank and try again or just get a new motor. Current motor has 174,000 miles, but runs perfectly until it tries to overheat. Any guidance or pointers would be helpful.

 

test the coolant for exhaust gases, to rule out head gasket

 

Thanks! Love your quote: 'It is never too late to believe in Christ our Savior.' I am a believer.