Overheating
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 859
Likes: 2
From: Port Orchard, WA
Infrared readings:
Cold engine:
Top hose: 44
Lower hose: 38
Center of temp gauge engine:
Top hose: 44
Thermostat housing, just above thermostat: 60-70
Block, just below thermostat: 150-160
At this point, it's certainly not circulating coolant. See the next post for "Good 'n hot" readings.
Also, the surface temperature of my dog's fur coat is 73 degrees, and my steak is 125. Gotta love new tools.
Thanks
-Matt
Cold engine:
Top hose: 44
Lower hose: 38
Center of temp gauge engine:
Top hose: 44
Thermostat housing, just above thermostat: 60-70
Block, just below thermostat: 150-160
At this point, it's certainly not circulating coolant. See the next post for "Good 'n hot" readings.
Also, the surface temperature of my dog's fur coat is 73 degrees, and my steak is 125. Gotta love new tools.
Thanks
-Matt
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 859
Likes: 2
From: Port Orchard, WA
I let it run a little hotter, until the gauge was welcomed to the danger zone by Kenny Loggins, and now I believe the thermostat is working just fine.
Upper hose: 100
Upper tank: 160-170
Just below thermostat on block: 160-170
Just above thermostat on housing: 130
Lower tank: 65
Block, at the temp sender: 150-160
These were the values at the absolute hottest I could get the truck. It would appear to me that nothing's wrong...
Upper hose: 100
Upper tank: 160-170
Just below thermostat on block: 160-170
Just above thermostat on housing: 130
Lower tank: 65
Block, at the temp sender: 150-160
These were the values at the absolute hottest I could get the truck. It would appear to me that nothing's wrong...
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 276
Likes: 0
From: Orange County NY
Definitely sucks out more BTUs then 50:50 antifreeze.
To OP;
I'm sure you've come to this conclusion already, but gauges lie.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 859
Likes: 2
From: Port Orchard, WA
Water is a better coolant than ethylene glycol, because it has a higher specific heat capacity.
Ethylene Glycol: 2.36 KJ/kgK
Fresh Water: 4.19 KJ/kgK
It takes more energy to heat one kg of water by 1 degree than it does to heat one kg of ethylene glycol by the same 1 degree. We use ethylene glycol because of it's corrosion resistance and low freeze/high boiling points.
But yeah, you could be onto something with the flow rate.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,445
Likes: 5,517
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
let me rephrase that then. water is not as good as coolant because water has a lower boiling point than coolant.
so a vehicle will overheat with water faster than it will with coolant.
so a vehicle will overheat with water faster than it will with coolant.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 276
Likes: 0
From: Orange County NY
LOL!
Sorry man!
Seriously tho, my parts truck (F-Super Duty roll back) had a mechanical coolant temp gauge, probably because the owner got sick of his drivers telling him that the truck was running hot.
Ford gauges cost me a day on a flat rate job once. Can't trust em.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 20,345
Likes: 802
From: Mi'kma'ki
I let it run a little hotter, until the gauge was welcomed to the danger zone by Kenny Loggins, and now I believe the thermostat is working just fine.
Upper hose: 100
Upper tank: 160-170
Just below thermostat on block: 160-170
Just above thermostat on housing: 130
Lower tank: 65
Block, at the temp sender: 150-160
These were the values at the absolute hottest I could get the truck. It would appear to me that nothing's wrong...
Upper hose: 100
Upper tank: 160-170
Just below thermostat on block: 160-170
Just above thermostat on housing: 130
Lower tank: 65
Block, at the temp sender: 150-160
These were the values at the absolute hottest I could get the truck. It would appear to me that nothing's wrong...
so if you started by tossing parts at it,you would of just thrown good money after bad trying to cool an already too cool of a running idi.
i got a good deal on a point and shoot tool from amazon.i suspected the gauges i first installed in my truck were just as bad as the oem gauges and i was right lol:
(i threw away the cyberdyne digital gauges and installed auto meter.major upgrade.now i know my temps.)
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 6,938
Likes: 13
Apparently its not the cool thing to do, but i replaced my factory sending unit when it started acting up. Works 100% A-O-good. Cold bar is 100* O/R is 210 end of normal is 235*
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 859
Likes: 2
From: Port Orchard, WA
I would just replace the sender, if I was confident that was the problem.
But the gauge and the idiot light appear to agree with each other, and I'm currently under the assumption that they are fed by different sensors: a variable resistance sender for the gauge, and a switch for the idiot light.
So... the engineer in me needs to figure this out. I'm too stubborn to just write "Electron Magic" in a cloud shape, call it my troubleshooting, and install aftermarket gauges.
No sir. I'll be sitting down with a magnifying glass, a case of my best thinking-man's juice (Busch light), and some wiring diagrams I got off of Google that I will blindly accept as accurate. This system is... elementary.
-Matt
But the gauge and the idiot light appear to agree with each other, and I'm currently under the assumption that they are fed by different sensors: a variable resistance sender for the gauge, and a switch for the idiot light.
So... the engineer in me needs to figure this out. I'm too stubborn to just write "Electron Magic" in a cloud shape, call it my troubleshooting, and install aftermarket gauges.
No sir. I'll be sitting down with a magnifying glass, a case of my best thinking-man's juice (Busch light), and some wiring diagrams I got off of Google that I will blindly accept as accurate. This system is... elementary.
-Matt
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 445
Likes: 6
From: western Oregon
The stock gauge's are only a bit smarter than a slug on a hot stove....He knows its dam hot...But can't move any faster....The only way to know any engine info for sure is to put real gauge's in it.....
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 859
Likes: 2
From: Port Orchard, WA
But it was designed to be centered when the thermostat opens. It isn't. I'm going to find out what has changed, and fix it.
Leaving the stock gauge all catty-whompus and mounting an autometer electric gauge under the dash doesn't fix the stock gauge.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 2
From: western washington
replace the sender, my rig has never been past half way, most of the time its on the o of normal. the tech of electric sensors has improved a ton, but ford stayed with what they liked, cheaper for them.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,106
Likes: 35
From: Virginia
I don't know about the fan, but seeing as it gets hot at highway speeds, I'm pretty certain the fan is not the issue.
Earlier today I noted that once the engine got hot, the upper hose was warm (not hot) and very, very stiff. Trying to squeeze it was like squeezing a rock. The lower hose was cold to the touch.
Given that the upper hose wasn't hot, but it was pressurized, I'm guessing that the radiator isn't flowing adequately. Which is odd, because it flowed the garden hose just fine.
It may have clogged back up once i put it back in the truck.
Earlier today I noted that once the engine got hot, the upper hose was warm (not hot) and very, very stiff. Trying to squeeze it was like squeezing a rock. The lower hose was cold to the touch.
Given that the upper hose wasn't hot, but it was pressurized, I'm guessing that the radiator isn't flowing adequately. Which is odd, because it flowed the garden hose just fine.
It may have clogged back up once i put it back in the truck.