I called the dealership this morning and explained my testing of my original thermo, and that it could have been the cause all along, but i might have just compounded the problem when i put in a aftermarket thermo that might not be working correctly. And he immediately asked if i put in a mastercraft one and i said no. So i also said that im over 100k miles and that is probably needs a flush too, but i said see what the tech says too. So im really hoping that it just needs the right thermo and coolant flush. That would just be the cats meow to me right now.

 

So I got a call back and they said they are keeping it overnight and the tech had stuff hooked up to it. They didn't tell me much else. Now that has me scared. Im hoping that they just didn't get to it late in the day and didn't get to really work on it yet. What could it possibly be that would take a long time for a diagnosis

 

Lack of proper motivation??

Seriously though, you're right in feeling that something is not right. I wouldn't put too much stock in it though, until you hear back. Easier said than done, I know.
Keeping my fingers crossed that they were out of thermos, and decided to tell you they needed it longer, than reveal a stocking issue

 

I really hope your right. I wouldn't think even the worst case scenario would be hard to diagnose. And im hoping that they got to it late in the day and just didn't get around to really working on it

 

Ok, here is what we ended up with. They called me mid afternoon and said that they drove it and saw the temps go up around 205, and let it warm up and cool down several times in the shop with their scanner hooked up and saw normal temp ranges from 195 to 205 (This was with the Federated thermo and old coolant) This is what i saw when driving a short distance, but as i drove further and under load the temps would go up further, i think they did not drive it far enough to see this.

They said that at 100k miles you should changed coolant, but mine did not test bad and looked good, so it was up to me. They also said that all sensors were working correctly and my edge was reading the right temps on the head and for the coolant.

So i said go ahead and replace the thermo with a mastercraft and flush the coolant. The called me shortly before 5 and said it was done. I went and picked it up and took it for a lengthy test drive.

With the initial warm up the temp went up to 200 for a breif moment then dropped to 194, then inched up to 196-198. As i jumped on the highway for a 10 mile drive i set the cruise on 68. The highway has some slight long inclines that put load on the engine, but over the entire highway drive the temp stayed at 198 with a few breif drops to 196 while coasting a couple times.

I got off the highway and onto a two lane. There was a decent long incline i had to pull as soon as i got off the highway. My temps breifly touched 200 but when i reached the top of the incline and just cruised at 50-60 mph the temps leveled at 198 and never moved. As i would slow down or coast the temps would breifly drop to 196 or a few degrees lower. This was the norm for non highway driving. Breifly touching 200 on inclines under load and 196-198 while driving and cruising.

These seem more like what should be happening at 80* days while doing normal driving. What i think happened overall was that the original thermo was stuck some what open for the past couple years as the temps never got over 190* unless under extreme conditions, then suddenly a week or so ago the thermo decided to close and then not open at the correct temps, hece me all the sudden seeing increasing temps slightly over 200*. Then i put in a aftermarket thermo, which didnt work at the right temps righ off the bat, hence me seeing 210*+ while driving. Then after a new motorcraft thermo and coolant flush the temps are hovering slightly over the set temp of the thermo which i see as normal.

So hopefully im back to normal but slightly lighter in the pocket, but not as much as i feared. Which is good. Thanks guys for all your insight. I should have just stuck with motocraft when i did the thermo sway the first time, huh?

 

Something about these trucks and MotorCraft parts. Damnedest thing too.

Glad you're back below 200* as I'm sure that's not a good feeling to see a 2 infront of a couple more digits.
Keep us updated once the weather spikes again!

 

Well the weather was warm yesterday when i took it for a test drive.

This morning on my way to work it was cooler, mid 60's, on initial warm up truck ran to 202* then dropped when the thermo opened completely. Then the rest of the drive the temps were anywhere from 194-198. Which would make sense to me with a 195* thermo. Plus the way i see it since these trucks dont have a sensor that actually touches coolant for a real accurate reading, that its pretty close. And that is 10-20* cooler than it was running with the Federated thermo. In my older camaro with a 350 i have a guage that the probe goes right in the read. It has a 195* thermo and when that thing hits 195* that guage is right on and that engine runs 195*.

Im just gonna have to get used to seeing upper 190's now i guess after i was so used to seeing aroung 190 constantly for the past couple years with the stuck open thermo. Oh well, i just keep telling myself, this time next year i can get something newer!

 

Side note as well, they said the motorcraft thermo that my truck calls for is a 192*

 

Also, my tranny temps are lower due to lower coolant temps.

 

Ok, driving home tonight from work, alot of stop and go, outside temps are close to 90* in the sun, my engine temps where anywhere from 198*-202* (very rarely touched 202*)

 

Sounds like an improvement!!

 

One other product that you can use to lower coolant temp is Liquid Kool by SolderSeal. I've used it in cooling systems that were on the borderline of overheating. Royal Purple Purple Ice and Redline Water Wetter are good products also.

 

Well I think im in the clear now. Don't you think?

 

Probably so. That was just a suggestion if it runs a little warmer if you are towing or something. Glad you got it cured. I'll be flushing mine soon and changing my Tstat so I'll be getting a Motorcraft after seeing your experience.

 

So just for the heck of it and lack of anything to do today, i threw a new fan clutch on, I think the old one was a little warn, when i pulled it off i could spin it by hand and it would just sit and spin like there wasnt any resistance, granted it was cooled for about an hour before i pulled it off, but the new one i couldnt spin like that when it was dead cold out of the box.

I also tested the Federated thermo that i put in on monday and then had ford remove cause it made the truck run warmer, it was supposed to be a 195* thermo but when tested it didnt open till 205-210* So that is why it ran warmer.

And a side note, i just cant buy a break with this truck this month, took my Edge and returned my truck to stock, hooked it up to my computer and updated it, and now its telling me i am missing a file when i go to program it. HA! My luck right? So i have a call into Edge.