Hi all!

I have not posted in a while because the truck has been running great and I have been enjoying it thoroughly.

Maybe it is the beginnings of summer heat but I have noticed that the temp gauge will periodically start to climb up after some freeway driving and I will have to add fluid to the radiator.

I am worried that I end up running the truck a bit hotter than it should be. The temp gauge (even though it's a pos that does not even indicate ACTUAL temperatures) ends up at the upper 'safe' line:



A few months back I had already done a number of regular maintenance that are related so I can rule them out:
installed a new thermostat (180 degree)
Had the radiator reconditioned
Replaced all cracked hoses and redid leaky gaskets
I have always replaced the fluid with 50/50 antifreeze

I no longer see any obvious leaking of fluids (except a small leak from the shaft and the rear seal I think) and I do not see any white smoke from the exhaust.

I have heard there are two things I might attempt:
1) adding a reservoir
2) get a fan shroud

How effective are these? What else can I do or what else should I be looking for?

Thanks in advance!
Roni
1966 F250, 352 w/ 4 barrel Edelbrock, headers, the usual...

 

fan shroud well help add safty also, elect fan is done alot have one on my 46' takes the heat out fast
roy
my 89'f250 had a leak in the heater very small

 

If the water pump is leaking around the shaft it's time to replace it. Rear leak is likely running down from intake manifold or freeze plug in back of block. Shroud will most definatly help. Without an overflow resevoir, its common to overfill and keep blowing it out. Fill enough to cover the fins in radiator, not to the top.

 

Schoo: An electric fan could be good in the long run but it will take some time to get a good one in the junkyard and some money to get a controller for it.

gfw1985: Allow me to clarify about the leaking. I meant that there is some sort of liquid coming from the cam or crank shaft at the engine block. It does not appear to be water. Also, the leak at the rear is definitely oil.

The problem with the coolant loss is that it continues losing water past the cooling fins so I don't think it's just a reservoir issue even though adding a reservoir could help.

Any specific recommendations on sourcing the parts for a reservoir and fan shroud? Specifically, a fan shroud seems like the more difficult item to find...

 

Roni, You do not need to add an electric fan or reservoir. There is plenty of air flowing through there as long as it is moving. The only time a fan is needed is when it is sitting still idling. If you are in heavy traffic with several traffic lights, & notice the gauge moving up a little, run it up to about 1000 rpms when sitting.

You have to leave a couple inches of air space for expansion in the top of the radiator. As long as you can see fluid in the radiator after it has sat overnight you are OK. There is about 4 1/2 gallons of coolant in the system.

The elec. gauge is old, I would think about adding a manual one to keep a better check.

If indeed it is leaking in the pump area replace it.




John

 

Personally I'm a big believer in shrouds and reservoirs for the simple fact that they help to maintain a more even temperature.

 

It's impossible to find, because Ford never offered a fan shroud for any 1961/66 F100/350 V8. 'Course if one is in "the know" one knows what bolts on like it was made for it.

D3TZ-8146-C (replaced C8TZ-8146-K) .. Fan Shroud / Marked on upper left (drivers) side corner C8TA-8146-S or D3TA-8146-DA / Obsolete

Original applications: 1968/76 F100/350 360/390 without a Super Cooling radiator.

In 1981, I wanted to install a shroud on my 1965 F100 352. Looked at dozens of new shrouds (at Crenshaw Motors in LA where I was the shop counter partsguy), till I found this one, bolted right on.

I've been recommending this shroud over the past 5 years here on FTE, several members bought one, bolted it right on. Ford recently obsoleted it, so now the only sources are used, or...

Reproduced by Carpenter, dimensions/listed/illustrated on page 36 of his 1967/79 truck repro catalog (2011 paper version) for $120.00. Call 800-476-9653, order this and DC's 1957/66 catalog...they're free.

btw: You can buy a coolant recovery reservoir at any autoparts store. No F100/750 came with one factory installed until 1980, with one exception: 1971/72 F100/250's w/a 240 I-6 (D1TZ-8A080-A). That's it!

In 1970, Ford came out with a "universal fitz-all" kit (DOAZ-8522-A) only available at the parts counter. Same one could be bought down the street at autoparts stores for less dinero.