Hello fellas, I'm really enjoying every moment behind the wheel with my 59 F100 4x4, got a cooling system question.

So I have a everything new cooling system except the (disconnected) heater core and when I first got her running I bought a 7 lb cap. I noticed that my truck was always running near the H side on the temp. gauge. Yesterday after reading the instructions on the CAT EC1 type antifreeze (Red), I bought a 16 lb cap and now the needle is just a hair past midway on the gauge. runs great. I'm just wondering if my (possibly original) heater core is going to get upset when I reconnect it to the cooling system.

I have a 10" whole house cartridge filter in it's place at the moment collecting the last bits of junk from the last 15 years of sitting.

Chet

 

It will all depend on the condition of the heater core. If it sat for so long that you are filtering out junk from the system, I would think that some of that junk is from the old radiator, block, and heater core breaking down over the years. There's only one way to know for sure.
I would think that now is the perfect time to test it out so that if it does blow, you can just get a new one before it gets cold enough that you NEED the heat. Good luck.

 

I do not see why not. But since you have it out, test it. put on two short hoses, plug one, then connect an air line to the other. Put it in a tub of water and pressurize to 15 psi. Leave the pressure on for a few hours - no bubbles, all is OK.

 

No Ford truck of any year used a 16 lb. radiator cap (8100).

Left: 1957/63 / Right: 1964/72.

 

I'm not sure they're available. But I like the idea mentioned by 3414.

 

True, but the Antifreeze I'm using didn't exist either. I just know it works great with the 16 lb cap and and not very good with the 7 lb cap. Not sure why except the Antifreeze mfg says to use the high lb cap.
Thanks for the parts list!!

 

So I now know why it was running hot with a 7 lb cap. After driving my truck for about a total of 40 miles since I dug her out of the ground. This truck has a blown head gasket. Cylinder #5 has 80 psi compression. There was something majority wrong with this engine 15 years ago but no one could recall what it was.