Hey everyone, new here to actually speaking up. I read a lot though. On an 1983 F250 351w c6 should idle at on the stock temperature gauge? Mine stayed around half and the thermostat never opened it took about 15 minutes in 85-90 degree weather to get half. It has a clutch fan. I just put a new cooler thermostat failsafe one in it. And in the process of replacing the heater core. Also putting on a new lower hose just in case I’m hoping it’s not the water pump because I can’t do the work anymore since a surgeon damaged my spinal cord. But since the thermostat never opened is it possible that the clutch fan engaged and kept it cool enough? It has dealer added air conditioner if that means anything. Not ford added. Which has made this a huge pain replacing the heater cord. Also I just put a new carb on there a reman, not the stock electric choke. Does that go to the stator like the original ones did for the 6v or do I need to run it to the key? I’m pretty knowledgeable, but now being in disabilify I am limited with what I can do and can’t afford new vehicles.

Thanks Guys

 

Hi and welcome to FTE. If you take your questions to the "Older, Classic and Antique Trucks section, you will probably receive more responses than you might imagine. But, here, in the introduction section, is not the place to ask.

Don't forget to join your state chapter too. You may just find some help, right around the corner.

 

Moved to this forum.

 

If the thermostat never opened and the heater was off it would have gotten pretty hot in 15 minutes, or overheated. I'd bet it did open just enough to cool itself properly, and at idle that isn't a lot on an F-250 with a big radiator. If the thermostat never opened, the fan wouldn't matter.

How are you judging whether the thermostat opened or not?

What temperature thermostat did you install?

Was the heater running while you were doing this? That would make warm up take a long time at idle.

Either way, a lot of other folks can help with this as well, but they don't usually visit the "New Member Introductions" forum. You might want to try posting the same over in the "1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks" forum. If you post over there I'll try to get over there and follow this issue.

Welcome aboard!

 

Looks like Fomoko1 moved this thread while I was typing. That will make it easier!

 

You are spending time and money on a dubious factory temperature gauge. We see it all the time. We have a little debate going on this forum, I say ditch the factory gauge and add a aftermarket gauge. That's what I do to all my vehicles I care about, using oil/temp/volt gauges to monitor the engine. But there are guys on here who like to keep their truck's original and want to keep the stock gauge. While they insist on that, they will admit in a case like yours, the least they would do is get a infrared temperature reader and read what the actual temps in the engine compartment are.

I think you need some verification of what the temps are before going forward. I have heard nothing about coolant spewing out or any knocking noises.

This is as kind as I can get about the stock gauges in these trucks.

 

Thanks for the response I didn’t think about it partially opening. I always think about it fully opening. I guess you would be right because a little water did come out from under the heater core. Not much. I just squeezed the hose. And it felt like there was no pressure. I believe what I installed was like a 170 degree thermostat maybe a little higher. The engine didn’t feel hot. I know my way around 351w and I know what they feel like hot. I mean I’ve had them where I could cook an egg on the intake and I didn’t seem to have it that hot. But I’ve also never had anything larger than a half ton. So I’m inexperienced with I believe what would be a 3 core radiator. Just to be safe though I’m going to replace the lower heater hose to make sure it’s not collapsing. I’m going to put a manual temp gauge. And flush the radiator just to be sure. Because there was definitely some rust in the radiator. Not much though.

 

Oh I 100% agree I’ve never kept a ford stock temp gauge in my life. It’s just I wish I could for once. Dope.

 

Sorry I should of added this before. I believe I did have the heater on. I turned it on probably at 3/8 of the gauge and if never got past half.

For those that use infrared temperature gauges on the engine where should I test and what should the temperature be? Test the intake and be around 200 max?

 

I am one who still uses the factory gauges but if I have any question on it being right I will test to make sure.
My temp gauge always reads low, well 99% of the time and I even changed out the new stat as I forgot I changed it.
I have a 300 six but it should not make a difference on motors as the stat works the same on all of them.

Because mine reads low I took the IR gun and pointed it to the stat housing as this would be the temp just after the stat opens and the gauge should be going by.
You dont want too cool a stat as the motor will never got hot enough to boil out condensation and that can hurt the motor. Also too cold adds more ware.

On that lower hose is it the radiator or heater core hose?
If lower radiator make sure you take the old spring out and install it in the new hose.
New hoses dont come with the spring and if not installed when the RPM goes up the water pump sucks the hose closed and you get no water flow and will over heat at speed.

Talking water flow, with the system cold remove the radiator cap and make sure you can see a coolant level, it dose not need to be up to the vary top.
Start the motor and let it run to get up to temp, Middle gauge is normal on most factory gauges.
As the temp comes up check the radiator and as the stat opens you should see the coolant start to move / flow.
Also the upper radiator hose should get hot, at first on the bottom and as the motor runs more the full hose and more flow.

The fan type, radiator size or who put the AC on the truck should not have anything to do with the water temp.
The stat controls the lowest temp the motor will run at. So a 190*f stat should be full open at 190*f and start to close below that temp.
Now if the temp keeps going up and you know the stat is open fully then you could have issues else where in the cooling system.
No spring in the lower hose, partly plugged radiator, bad water pump, no fan shroud and running AC to name a few.

The only time I see my temp raise is if I sit for a long time, maybe 5 mins or long traffic lights rush hour, with the AC (factory) on and the temp out side is high like mid to upper 90's
Once I start to move or bring the RPM up a little the temp comes down. My gauge sits at the first line on the cold side and checking with the IR gun is 190*.
Dave ----

 

Thanks for the info on the thermostat. I live in a city and tend to have not so mild summers here in St. Louis with traffic. I did feel the lower hose it felt like there may have been some breaks in parts of it when it wasn’t running. Is that normal? How much water flow should I see in the radiator? For as much as I thought I’d see it was more like a cup of water and just tapping on the counter. So possibly the bottom hose is collapsing when running? Where can you get new springs from?

 

I see you've already met Dave, our resident hater of the stock gauges. Here at the Stock Gauge Anti-Defamation League (SGADL), we've been patiently trying to get him to come around. Turns out the last session of electroshock therapy did not go well. My lawyer says not to comment on it until the court case is resolved. However, I do want to publicly state the instructions were not very clear about where to place the electodes. Also, some good news, as the medical team thinks the electrodes will work themselves out naturally and surgery is not yet warranted.

Back to your truck. Beg, borrow, or steal an infrared thermometer. Point it at the thermostat housing and figure out what is really happening. Your original line of questioning was all over the place, asking about hoses and thermostats and fans and lions and bears, oh my! Figure out if you've got an actual overheat or an indication problem. Keep us posted.

 

Already on top of it, I ordered one off Amazon that had a great rating only about 20 bucks. I have a manual gauge I installed earlier today but I just don’t like the appearance I merely did it just to check not thinking about other ways to check temperatures.

 

On the spring in the lower hose the only time it will get sucked closed is when the RPM it above 2000 and it is not closed all the way from what I have seen.
At idle it is still open and at that point a spring not needed but there is no way to add it at speed LOL

Upper hose is the lower hose for my 300 six and it did not have a spring in, the way I got the truck, it and I did not one to install.
I could not find just a spring, think you can order them online? but I wanted it "NOW"!

I found a hose at the store I could remove the spring from and stuffed it in to my hose.
It was not fun but I knew it was needed. Think I cut it shorter and stretched it out to fit in.
The stock spring is not as compressed as pictured so yes you may feel some breaks that is normal.
As long as the hose can not close from 1 end to the other you are ok.

On the flow if the stat is fully open and the water pump is in good shape, impeller not rusted off or loose, you should see it move pretty good.
Again if the stat is just a little open to maintain temp you may not see the flow and that is what it kind of sounds like?
Using the factory gauge if it is running in the middle I call that normal temp and not worry.
Before I would go replacing it I would check with a IR gun and / or mechinical gauge like I think you are doing.
Dave ----

 

Funny they make springs for like GTOs and stuff and the outer diameter is 1 3/8”. I found them on Amazon. They’re 17” long. I ordered one. It should fit perfectly on the lower hose I have coming. The crazy thing is how cheap it was. Less than $8 for the spring.