Cab heating
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
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Cab heating
'79 F150 regular cab 4WD 351M.
I drove my truck 20 miles the other day, 60-65mph, and it never seemed to get particularly warm. It wasn't cold outside, maybe 55ish. The heater-air wasn't cold-cold, but it was never going to get the cabin to shirt-and-shorts warm, either.
The stock temperature guage reads at the lower line of the "normal" range, which seems way too low, but I also know isn't very reliable. It's been in the family since new, and I'm told the truck cab has never been particularly warm.
I bought a new thermostat, thinking the old one might be stuck or missing, but after being told it's never been warm inside, I wonder if I wasted my money. I haven't installed it yet. I don't know what the temp of the thermostat is, either the one I bought or the one that might be in it.
How hot should the engine get? How hot should the air out of the vents be on "full hot"? Before I go installing a part I possibly don't need, should I start looking at my ductwork or restricting airflow, either to the radiator or the cabin? What's normal?
I drove my truck 20 miles the other day, 60-65mph, and it never seemed to get particularly warm. It wasn't cold outside, maybe 55ish. The heater-air wasn't cold-cold, but it was never going to get the cabin to shirt-and-shorts warm, either.
The stock temperature guage reads at the lower line of the "normal" range, which seems way too low, but I also know isn't very reliable. It's been in the family since new, and I'm told the truck cab has never been particularly warm.
I bought a new thermostat, thinking the old one might be stuck or missing, but after being told it's never been warm inside, I wonder if I wasted my money. I haven't installed it yet. I don't know what the temp of the thermostat is, either the one I bought or the one that might be in it.
How hot should the engine get? How hot should the air out of the vents be on "full hot"? Before I go installing a part I possibly don't need, should I start looking at my ductwork or restricting airflow, either to the radiator or the cabin? What's normal?
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: washington!
The T-stat is a wear/maintenence item anyway so its good to change it every so often. Your engine should be at 195 degrees stock, as for heater discharge temp that varies but it should make a notable difference in cab temp, once I get my 78 warmed up at 30 degrees F outside I have to turn the heater fan down to low and crank the temp down to half or I cook. I also use the Mr Gasket T-stats as they have always kept my motors at a good steady temp and are pretty robust. And the sealing of your cab will make a huge difference in heater efficiency, leaky door seals and window strippings can really make an impact on how well you can heat your rig. Could also have a stuck/broken blend door in the plenum (spelling?), or if your truck has one there is a valve in one of the heater hoses that cuts off coolant flow to the heater when not in use. Anyhew that should get you going. Hope you get that heat running soon!
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
your heater core is more than likly bad it is cloged with rust and scale replace that and it will be more than plenty warm,does the truck have a/c if not the heater core is 20.00 i did mine pretty easy
