I recently bought a 2006 ford f250 6.0l. I got it in my home town of Brentwood California and had it there for a few days. This past Friday, January 2nd 2015, I drove it to Wyoming for work. The truck had been gone through, fluids changed, injectors replaced a few thousand miles ago along with the high pressure oil pump. When I arrived to Wyoming Saturday night it was -16 degrees out. I parked the truck for the night. The next morning I came out and started the truck. It started right up. I let it warm up for about 20 minutes. The truck wasn't quite to running temp but I took off. My heater wasn't blowing hot air yet. I stopped and grabbed a bite to eat and left the truck running for another 20 minutes. When I came back out the truck was still not blowing hot air. I took off driving and the engine temp jumped from running temp to overheating. I pulled over and shut the truck off. Let it cool down and tried driving again and it did it again. I went ahead and replaced the thermostat and it didn't change a thing. I took it to a shop and had a full collar flush of the whole system and it still has the same problem. The mechanics here say it's common to get an air bubble in the cooling system preventing coolant circulation. But are unsure of the problem. The head looks fine. No cracks. And I'm pretty sure my head gasket is fine. What could it be? I need this truck to get back and forth to work. Can anyone help at all? Please let me know.

 

One of the most common overheating/no heat causes is head gasket related. You wouldn't see a cracked head externally either. At least not like that. It would also be good to verify that the gauge and sending unit are working properly by verifying temps. Check the heater hoses to see if one is warm and one is cold. Do the same with the radiator hoses. Basic clog checks...

 

You also need to check in front of and between the radiators for built up bugs and debris. That has been a common cause for overheating. Also what coolant was used. If green get it out of there thoroughly flush and refill with 50/50 Zerex G-05, Ford gold or an approved elc.

 

Hey man thanks for the quick reply. And I will look for those things as soon as I get home. I hope it's something simple because I just got the truck a week ago.

 

You should get a set of gauges that give you actual temperatures (oil and coolant) instead of relying on the factory gauges (they are next to useless).

 

I'm wondering if the coolant in the Radiator is frozen? Not allowing any circulation? Maybe I missed it, but are you still in Wyoming? Is it still really F'n cold? In the temp's you mentioned, You could completely block the front of the truck, and not Immediately (Instantly) overheat.
Unless the heads are lifted. But I would think it would be eating coolant at that point.
Maybe the water pump crapped out?
Edit: In California the coolant concentration wouldn't matter all that much, but in Wyoming.....
These are just guess's and me surmising.

 

Do you have coolant flow? With the engine running you should see coolant flowing into the top of the resevoir through the small hose coming from the intake. If you have no flow and system is full of coolant, suspect water pump impeller issues.

 

Yeah all of the above, check the coolant with a hydrometer, for 50/50 mix of Ford Gold coolant. Check the hoses when warmed up are both warm? I wonder if you have a water pump issue? Is the grey hose connected to t he water valve going to the heater core? If this gets disconnected, you have no valve opening hence no hot water to the core. Do you have the digital controls on a lariat or the manual controls of XLT or below?

 

I can tell ya in my area of Wyoming it is still F'n cold, just barely got into the 20's today!

 

That's not right on the hose to the valve. It pulls vacuum to close it. It's always open otherwise.

 

I wonder if his EGR is plugged in , he should be hearing the Fan come on? any white misty sweet smelling smoke ?