ok, as some of you know, ive been having overheating problems with my truck for the past 3 weeks or so. so far, ive had the cooling system flushed, took my electric fans off and put in the original fan (with a new clutch), replaced all the freeze plugs, installed a new water pump and new radiator cap and new thermostat (all factory specs), new timing chain cover (old one was leaking coolant), brand new hoses and clamps, and put in a 50/50 mix of water and coolant. when i drive the truck, the temperature will stay cool for about the first half an hour, but after that it will slowly start to climb until the engine is boiling hot. this weekend im gonna take the radiator somewhere to be cleaned out, or maybe even buy a new one, but htis is my last idea. if that doesnt work, what the hell else could it be? the mechanics around here have had no luck in fixing it. any input welcome, no matter how far-fetched the solution may be, i need all the help i can get on this one. please help, thanks...

 

I think replacing the radiator will be your salvation, but for future reference, a 50/50 mix in the radiator is WAY too much coolant! Especially in Florida. You will never require more than 30% coolant/anti-freeze, and even then, only if you live within the Arctic Circle. 20% would be more practical. Coolant serves five purposes, none of which keeps the engine cooler. It:
1) Acts as a lubricant for the water pump.
2) Helps protect the hoses from the inside (BTW, save your used coolant for wiping down your tires! It will restore the "new tire" look, rather than the "glazed donut" look you get with aftermarket tire dressings).
3) Helps reduce the electrolysis that naturally occurs in cooling systems that deteriorates metal.
4) Lowers the freezing point of the cooling system mixture
5) Raises the boiling point of the cooling system mixture.
This last one is the most deceptive. A cooling system in proper working order is a sealed system. That means that no outside air can get in, and as the temp rises, the system becomes pressurized. Pressure, combined with no added air, will keep the system from boiling under normal circumstances. By raising the boiling point, coolant actually raises the cooling mixture temp. The info on the sides of the coolant containers brag about being able to reach 260 degrees before boiling over, but guess what: DAMAGE CAN OCCUR AT OR BELOW 260 DEGREES!!! You want it to boil over before it gets that hot! That way you will stop driving, and let the system cool down. Coolant also retains heat, which makes it harder for the cooling system to dissipate the heat, like it's supposed to. Here in California, I never use more than 10% coolant, even when I go to the snow in the mountains. I worked for Bill Elliott in 1998, and was shocked to discover that those cars, with their 900 horsepower engines that drove for 500 miles straight, averaging 7000+ rpms, ran with 100% water in the cooling system. The only thing they use coolant for in NASCAR is to measure the cc's of the combustion chambers in their heads. because they don't use coolant, they have to use a higher pressure rated radiator cap (28 - 30 psi), but since everything is new, it can easily handle that much pressure. Don't believe the hype: coolant actually makes your engine run hotter!

Take care,
-Chris

 

wow, thank you very much for the help, i had always been told to run a 50/50 mix. thanks for the tip, ill let you know how it runs after i get the radiator. is there a place online that i can go to check the price of a new radiator for my truck? thanks...

 

PKRWUD, you amaze me everyday. Today it is the guages and the cool description of coolant. Here in Maine I run 30%coolant because I've always been told ..."water is what does the cooling."

Good luck Donate. I know you've been been after the problems with your truck for quite some time. Hopefully this will be the last problem and you can get back to the mods soon.

 

AMEN!

 

Thank you! One of the few things I like better than practical knowledge, is sharing it with others.

Of course, I've been told I tend to do that a little too much, often whether the other person wants to hear it or not.

Go figure.



Take care,
-Chris

 

Yeah, I had always heard that too. Of course, I had also grown up believing that if you sat an automotive battery on a cement floor that it would discharge faster. It was the local community college that educated me to the fact that both of those are fallacies, and it has been my experience in the 16 years since then that confirmed it.

Take care,
-Chris

 

amen brotha .

i've been fighting the myth of the batteries on concrete for years . people still insist that it will drain them . hummmm.,..
simple minds . go figure .

 

ok well ive discovered something new with the truck. the temp only rises at higher rpm's, but at low rpm's the temp stays cool. does this still indicate that it's the radiator. because whati find weird isthat it wont overheat in regular city driving (as long as i go easy on the throttle), but in teh highway it overheats. shouldnt it be the other way around, since its getting a LOT more air in the radiator at highway speeds? btw, its throwing no codes or anything. thanks

 

two questions:

What temp gauge are you using?

Have you changed the coolant/water mixture yet?

 

i havent chenged the mix yet because im planning on pulling the radiator out today to take it somewhere to get it cleaned and when i install it again ill make sure to put about 20% coolant. as far as temp, im using the stock gauge but while i had it in my buddy's shop, he hooked up a gauge to the truck and told me my temp gauge was pretty accurate, so thats what im going by. im gonna have the radiator cleaned this week, ill let ya know how it turns out.

 

DONATE just discovered the answere to why some of us don't have tachs!!! Ford was being cheap and just put the tach and water temp as one.

 

That is not funny....lol ROTFLMAO

 

i meant that the temp rises wayy past normal, not just that it rises.

 

I think he was trying to be funny....