Over heating at speed.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Tucson, AZ
Originally Posted by RisingR
The only thing is that it doesn’t seem to be using any coolant and it isn’t pressurizing the coolant system.
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New User
Joined: Jan 2003
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The radiator cap is brand new (13 lbs). The timing hasn't been checked since I changed the cap and rotor two years ago. I will double check that this weekend and see what I can determine. I'll let everyone know if I make any headway this weekend.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
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Any easy test for the thermostat would be to boil some water and then dip the thermostat in with a pair of pliers, if it opens up (can't remember the exact specs of how far it should open...), then you know it's working.
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Well the gage isn't the problem. I put in an aftermarket gage this weekend and went for a test drive. Outside temp was high 70s, with the ac on, running about 67mph, the gage got up to 210 deg. If it was 95 degrees out it would have been much higher. If I don't go above 30 to 40 mph it stays right on 180, which is the temp of the thermostat. Actually after I got home from my test drive I drove around my neighborhood for several minutes at about 20mph and the temp dropped back down to 180.
So to recap:
-Radiator, water pump, and fan clutch are all 2 years old.
-Thermostat, hoses, cap, and gage all brand new.
-No crud has come out when the system has been drained.
-It didn't use a drop of water last week, meaning that the same amount of water was in the reservior at the end of the week as was there at the beginning.
I didn't have a chance to check the timing yet. I am planning to do that tomorrow.
Could it be something internal to the water pump? Other than the impeller and housing I am not real familiar with how the pump works. I know there is a by-pass but I am not sure exactly what roll that plays.
I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on what happens. Thanks
So to recap:
-Radiator, water pump, and fan clutch are all 2 years old.
-Thermostat, hoses, cap, and gage all brand new.
-No crud has come out when the system has been drained.
-It didn't use a drop of water last week, meaning that the same amount of water was in the reservior at the end of the week as was there at the beginning.
I didn't have a chance to check the timing yet. I am planning to do that tomorrow.
Could it be something internal to the water pump? Other than the impeller and housing I am not real familiar with how the pump works. I know there is a by-pass but I am not sure exactly what roll that plays.
I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on what happens. Thanks
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 540
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From: Northern MD
You just might have to check the water pump. I had an overheating problem one time, and after replacing the bad fan clutch, hoses, radiator flush, hooking up an aftermarket temp gauge, it still ran hot. Finally replaced the water pump. The impeller was loose on the shaft! It would pretty much windmill in there. Never saw anything like it before or after that. Just plain weird.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Glen Burnie Maryland
The other thing about the water pump is that trucks with serpentine belts have a REVERSE ROTATION pump. If you put a standard rotation pump on there it would work of a fashion except under load AND at speed the temps would climb because of improper/insufficient flow.
BUT this is a new problem. So I would tend to Rule out a water pump that is above. a worn impeller, or a slipping impeller on the shaft would be moreto my thinking.
BUT this is a new problem. So I would tend to Rule out a water pump that is above. a worn impeller, or a slipping impeller on the shaft would be moreto my thinking.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: houston, tx
first thing is to check your timming, Then i would try pulling out the rad. covering the lower hole and filling it with water. when you remove the plug, all the water should rush out at once. if it does not empty in 1-2 seconds then you need to have it rodded out, or replace it. cause the tubes could have blockage, and you are not getting enough flow. in 90% of the radiators i have repaired this is the problem. good luck.
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I checked the timing and it was correct and advancing properly. I’m pretty sure the radiator is not plugged because it is only 2 years old and the coolant was clean when I drained it. When I had it out I back flushed it and it seemed to be flowing fine.
I am going to double check the thermostat installation to make sure everything is perfect there. The gasket that I installed did not line up well and I elongated the holes (in the gasket) where the bolts go so that the by-pass hole was lined up better. Maybe this is somehow not allowing the thermostat to open all the way. I’m grabbing at straws here but I am running out of things to check.
I also will try and check the impeller on the pump to make sure that it is not loose. I have mentioned that problem to a few people and surprisingly enough, some of them had seen that problem before on other vehicles. So maybe a loose impeller is not that rare of an issue.
I am going to double check the thermostat installation to make sure everything is perfect there. The gasket that I installed did not line up well and I elongated the holes (in the gasket) where the bolts go so that the by-pass hole was lined up better. Maybe this is somehow not allowing the thermostat to open all the way. I’m grabbing at straws here but I am running out of things to check.
I also will try and check the impeller on the pump to make sure that it is not loose. I have mentioned that problem to a few people and surprisingly enough, some of them had seen that problem before on other vehicles. So maybe a loose impeller is not that rare of an issue.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,357
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From: S. Mississippi
Another thing thats got me curious. Has a 300 ever came with a reverse rotation waterpump like the smallblocks? Did this change when the 300s went EFI? Perhaps the parts guy accidentally gave you the wrong waterpump if you've ever replaced it.
Just a thought.
Just a thought.
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Problem Solved (finally)
Well it appears that my radiator seems to have been the problem, even though it is only two years old. I still had the old radiator so I thought I would put it back in just to see what would happen. Even though it has a very thin layer of build up inside it, the truck ran fine. With the ac on going 65 to 70 the temp barely got above 180 (thermostat is 180).
The “new” radiator, that is two years old, doesn’t appear to have any build up at all inside it so I am not sure why it isn’t working. One theory is that the sealing surface for the cap isn’t good and the cap was leaking despite being a new cap. The other possibility of coarse is that something is plugging it up inside and I just can’t see it or flush it out. Either way I am just happy that the problem is fixed and that I didn’t have to tear the engine apart to find the problem. Thanks for all the help and suggestions.
The “new” radiator, that is two years old, doesn’t appear to have any build up at all inside it so I am not sure why it isn’t working. One theory is that the sealing surface for the cap isn’t good and the cap was leaking despite being a new cap. The other possibility of coarse is that something is plugging it up inside and I just can’t see it or flush it out. Either way I am just happy that the problem is fixed and that I didn’t have to tear the engine apart to find the problem. Thanks for all the help and suggestions.
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Joined: Sep 2004
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make sure thermostat stays seated
Hello, make sure that the thermostat stays seated correctly inside the housing with something sticky like GasketMaker when you bolt it up, or it can fall downwards inside the housing. I would think if this accidentally happened during installation that you would have some leaking later. There have been cases of people installing a new thermostat that fell or slid down inside the housing as the bolts were being tightened, didn't know it, and had no leak. But the thermostat housing cracked because of the thermostats improper seating arrangment. Good Luck.
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Joined: Sep 2004
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One thing I've not seen mentioned, a slightly lean condition will cause an overheat at speed. I had a problem with mine (82 carb) and finally found the EGR adaptor plate was cracked, opened under high-flow conditions.
Replaced it, ran cool as a cucumber after that.
Replaced it, ran cool as a cucumber after that.
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