Hello all, I have an issue with a stock 1984 f150 302 xlt. My engine runs cold. If I drive 30 minutes the upper radiator hose is hot but not too hot. I can remove the radiator cap, and it has no pressure. The coolant is warm and you can leave your finger in it. The coolant level is at the lip when off and drops when cranked hot or cold. With the engine hot and running, I can remove the upper hose and coolant comes out. Now if I leave it at the same level no coolant will flow. Flip it up to my face and it starts to fill gurgle and flow. The coolent level will drop I fill it back up and I am still at the same problem. Another issue is there is no flow going through the radiator warm or hot.

 

Have you checked your thermostat? You could also have a worn out water pump.

 

It looks like it has all the original parts. I have a new water pump and thermostat, I have yet to install it. I have a bad back and have to find someone to help me. I just dont understand why the guage would read cold. My only conclusion is the propeler has spun off iternally, and the thermostat is stuck open. When the upper hose is fliped up it fills when the propeler can grab the shaft and does not have to fight gravity. That tells me there might be air in the system and it has just enough in the intake sensor to register a little but not fully.. but I would figure both hoses would be hot and both sides of the radiator would be to.. the left side runs hot but not to hot, and the right side stays warm.

 

The gauge on these trucks typically never gets very high anyway often just barely into the normal range. The sender for it is a little single wire thing near the #5 injector in the lower intake, in case you may want to change that too.

 

I might change it. I have an electrical grimlin only when it rains. My turn signal and coolant guage stops working. Unplug the turn signal fuse and it returns to normal. Narrow it down through searching and it may be my trailer connections.. I got the truck for only $1,000 with 100,000 miles. I just figured I would ask here.. dont want to start throwing alot of money at it.

 

The timing cover gasket disintigrated. The thermostat spring was so weak you could barely press it and it could open (oem 195). Got the gaskets replaced.. replaced the thermostat and cracked the housing... got a new one and used a shoestring and bolt to hold it in place to install the housing. Tried to go the cheap route and use a heater hose for the radiator bypass but its kinked. Orderd the hose. So I will replace it tomarrow, give it a run and report back.

 

Well the truck gets up to temp the and the upper hose is good and stiff under pressure. Looks like the timing cover gasket water pump and thermostat did the trick. Thanks for all the help.