just got a 95 f150 4x4 with the 300 I-6, five speed, and few options. Awesome. But my first ford so there's a lot of stuff that's greek to me.

For the drive home the temp gauge never lifted above cold. I'm having a tough time finding schematics for this thing:

The front coolant temp sender by where the radiator hose meets the thermostat housing has two wires. I assume this is for the computer and NOT the gauge. I ohmed it out about 10 minutes after I shut the truck down and got 7k ohms. According to this table

that I found on a mustang site, that would indicate I was at 140 degrees F and should at least have had some indication on the gauge.

My coolant is full and I had adequate but not exceptional heat. Before I tear into the thermostat assuming it's stuck open I want to make sure my instruments are working okay. Also it's due for a coolant flush... which I want to put off till spring so I can use plain water for an intermediate step... so if I need a thermostat I'll wait until then... 2nd "beater" vehicle I don't need right away, everyday.

I'm assuming there's a seperate, probably one-wire, sender for the gauge. I'd like to find it and ground it for a test... anyone know where? This thing has rather a medusa for an intake manifold that wraps around and hides lots of stuff.

Yes yes yes I'm ordering a manual, but just brought the thing home today, and wanna play.

 

Well I found some more info... got the CD iso image from a google search and they say the gauge sender is under the intake manifold, between cyls 3 & 4 approximately. Went out and looked through all the grime... couldn't find it right off.... come spring this thing's getting a cleaning.

I'll be picking up the thermostat and antifreeze, just to have on hand, so when a warm day comes I can go at it.

 

Hello and Welcome

the Ford truck temp Gage always reads on the low end of the scale. with a 195 deg. thermostat which is standard and the only one you should use, the gage will only read up to the N en normal usually. so at 140 it will barley get of of the peg. so do a flush and thermostat change and refill with antifreeze. and Ill bet every thing will be just fine.

don't forget to flush the heater core. and it is a good time tho check all of your hoses and something everyone forgets is the radiator cap, check it or replace it with one that is of the same psi rating as the original, I think 16 psi on your truck but check to see for sure.

I live in southern Baja Ca. and I pull trailers at low speeds over rough Terran in temps up to 130 deg. and I still run a 195 deg. thermostat. the thing about using a lower say 160 or 180 deg. in hot weather is a bunch of Ca Ca don't believe it and don't do it. Ford designed your engine to rune at 195 and it will do best there no mater what the weather is doing outside.

Thanks to all from Mexico
Bruce

 

Thanks for the heads up. The needle twitches when I turn the key on so I figure the circuit is at least good.

Got the 195'F Stant Superstat, the rockingest 'stat around, and some home depot closeout 18 wheeler ultra heavy duty antifreeze. Supposed to be 40 this weekend so I'll go at it then.

Still need a windshield to pass state inspection so stupid me sets up an appointment tomorrow morning when it's going to be 15 below zero. And the rig's got bulk 10w30 from the previous owner. Gonna get the magnetic block heater and a sheet of cardboard for the radiator. Thought the windshield places all came to one's driveway-- but not in the cold, as the urethane doesn't cure.

Hey another q-- does this system have a really noticeable decelleration fuel cutoff? It's a stick shift with the speed density setup and it really kicks in when I touch the gas after coasting down hills. If this thing's acting up I'll be looking at a full tuneup... but wondering if "they all do that".

 

FWIW, the new 'stat runs it at N or O in normal, and I have heat... and, presumably, MPG in the teens now.

Just hate to monkey with the coolant system without a known working gauge to monitor it therewith... a catch 22.

 

The Temp. gauge sender on a 4.9L is at the BACK of the head, facing the passenger side (green pointer) with a single R/W wire in a cloth sheath.

 

My truck with the same engine and the 5spd rarely ever passes the "O" in normal, and that was towing in traffic on a hot day. Getting just off the first line is fairly standard, and it takes about 10 minutes of steady driving just to get that.

It's pretty hard to overheat the 300, short of it being low on coolant.

 

I actually drove mine dry several hundred miles one night without knowing it.

 

I would like to here the story behind that. you sure could not do that with any other engine . did it survive




Bruce

 

I had to get from Lake Charles, LA, to Ft. Huachuca, AZ, (via Ft. Polk, LA) in a day with everything I'd need to live there for a few months, so I loaded up the Bronco & hit the road. About 27 hours later, I arrived. Found a place to get a few hours sleep, and then I went to check the truck. It went below freezing that morning, so I checked the coolant before I cranked it up - there was none. Dry all the way to the bottom of the radiator. Nothing under the truck, so it must have come out during the drive. I forget now where I ended up finding the leak (probably the water pump), but I refilled it & drove it probably 80K more miles before washing the rings out.