Engine Over-Heating

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Jan 14, 2005 | 01:55 PM

ABuzzard

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Engine Over-Heating

I have a 1977 F-250 that came stock with a 400ci, C-6 and the stock three core rad. After a broken crank i switched the 400 our for a 460 but i left in the stock rad, which seems to be a mistake. Now i have a suspension lift and 38'' mudders and it cant go anywhere without heating up like crazy. I have replaced the thermostat/water pump so i know they arent the problem so I am intersested in seeing what my options are here. I have been told that i should switch to electric fans...now that would be fine, if that will fix my problem, but i think maybe there just isnt enough rad there for that motor and would hate to invest in electric fans and then still over heat. I recently saw a 75 ford with a large four core rad and thought that would be the ticket, but the front of the frame on the 75 is different than mine, which allows the 4core to sit down into the frame. So.. After all that, my questions are did they put 4 core rads in the 77 style frame? If so are they common, or does anyone have any other ideas that could help me keep this thing cool?

Alex

Jan 14, 2005 | 02:05 PM

buzzbait65

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From: west central florida

do you have a shroud, head gasket problems maybe ?......in my opinion the 460 actually requires less radiator than a 400, i have seen many of those swaps and a new rad was never needed

Jan 14, 2005 | 02:42 PM

ABuzzard

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yah i have the shroud, had to trim it a little from the 400, but it still works like it should. Head gasket problems, i assume you mean put them on the wrong sides, covering up the passages, but no, I never pulled the motor apart, and it was fine in the truck it came out of.

Jan 14, 2005 | 02:56 PM

buzzbait65

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From: west central florida

do you have a cluth fan, if you do and that is working the only other thing i can think of is a partially plugged radiator ( which is good because you can get the bigger one then) i believe with small mods all the v-8 truck radiator supports will accept the larger rad, some have brackets some bolt the rad right to the support, check pictures and compare with your mounts before you buy and you should be ok, my truck has the brackets and came with a 400, and i now have the big supercool rad, bolted right in

ps: you can check for a plugged rad by checking for temp differences on the front of the rad on the cooling fins, just put your hand near the top then near the bottom(when it is hot) if it is cooler in certain areas, usually the bottom, then it is plugging up

Jan 14, 2005 | 06:03 PM

Mil1ion

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There is normally enough air sucking through a 2 core rad to cool an IN-TIME Engine.
I haven't one bit of problem with my 2 core rad/fan shroud/clutch fan 429 equipped truck.

How is the timing ?
Is it mainly when the engine is running when the truck sits ?
Make-up of coolant to water ?

Jan 14, 2005 | 06:21 PM

ABuzzard

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Timings fine, would have fixed that if it was the prob, like i say, over heats like crazy when it gets worked, where as the 400 that was in its place didnt, now the motor didnt overheat in the truck that it came out of, and i just swapped it in, without touching it, so there fore i am blaming somthing about its new home for the problem.

Jan 14, 2005 | 06:26 PM

Mil1ion

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Okay Understood.

Just so you know though, that 2 core is sufficient to cool the 460 in a normal engine working scenario.

Do you have the 5 blade or 7 blade fan on it ?

Did you go through any threads in the *Cooling Forum* ?