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I have a 1999 F-250 ex-cab V10 5 speed Every time I tow something it over heats bad. I can drive it all day long & it dont over heat as soon as i hook something to the back of it it wil over heat in less then 5 miles. I have put a K&N air filter it,cut off the catlickconverter & put on a flowmaster exhust on it,new raditor hoses & flush it out & therastat. Does anyone have an idea what could be the problam???
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How is the fan clutch?Not quite sure how to tell if it is bad.Is it losing coolant? Maybe it is not running hot,but a faulty sensor.Good luck, Seems like you covered most things.
yeah, also make sure that the thermostat that you got was the right one. I know that this is one of those answers that you say "I'm sure I got the right one moron" to but really check it out. A buddy of mine had an overheating problem in his camaro, and he tried everything, but the thing would overheat and the computer would shut it down no matter what he did. Turned out to be a thermo with a setting that was too high for the particular engine and application that he was running. The right thermostat and he had it licked.
only other thing I can think of is that your tranny is getting hot, they share the same radiator on some engines, or at least the same air. The tranny gets hot quicker when towing, maybe that's it.
yeah, also make sure that the thermostat that you got was the right one. I know that this is one of those answers that you say "I'm sure I got the right one moron" to but really check it out. A buddy of mine had an overheating problem in his camaro, and he tried everything, but the thing would overheat and the computer would shut it down no matter what he did. Turned out to be a thermo with a setting that was too high for the particular engine and application that he was running. The right thermostat and he had it licked.
only other thing I can think of is that your tranny is getting hot, they share the same radiator on some engines, or at least the same air. The tranny gets hot quicker when towing, maybe that's it.
Thats what i thought too about the tranny deal but he has a manual.
When a fan clutch goes bad it locks up. The fan will be engaged at all rpms and cause belt slipage. When the truck is parked and cool, you should be able to spin the fan by hand with little drag. Do you have any engine codes coming up? Sounds funny that it only over heats when towing with a 5spd. How many miles do you have on your truck? My ambulance at work is a 96 E350 with PSD (191,000miles), I had overheating problems and it was a plugged up radiator that would only overheat when run hard (like 90+mph running code 3 for long periods). Radiator was hot tanked and runs perfect now.
Usually, when a fan clutch goes bad it locks up. I changed one out in my dads 91 chebby, it wouldn't lock up. It was loose enough that after it got hot, if you shut the engine down, the fan would spin 5 or 6 rev's after the engine stopped.
Not to point out the obvious but did you put the thermostat in unpside down??? also I had the opposite problem in my F150. I went through 6 thermostats in 2 years untill I finally got one that wouldn't stick open. It seems like the thermostats that you buy at the partss store are nothing but junk. I would try another.
Fan clutches CAN fail "loose" - there's a bi-metallic strip (coil) on the front of the clutch that regulates how much the clutch locks up - if it's corroded, it won't lock up the fan more, it'll leave it loose.
Anyway, if it's not the fan clutch, take out the radiator and bring it to a shop, get it hot-tanked, or if the tubes are really bad, recore or replace it.
I know you said it doesn't use water, but when it's "overheating" is it just the guage, or is it spewing coolant out the overflow? I'd get a thermometer (like the nice infrared ones you just point and shoot) and check the temp of the top radiator hose when it's "overheating" and see what the real temp is.
well I put a new fan cluch on it and a new water pump and it did not help. I let it set in the drive way and run for a half an hour it stayed cool ,drove it up the road it stayed cool. Came home hooked up my car trailer made it about 2 miles up the road & RED HOT. I am out of opp. I give up I guess I just will not pull anything. Thanks for all the help.
well I put a new fan cluch on it and a new water pump and it did not help. I let it set in the drive way and run for a half an hour it stayed cool ,drove it up the road it stayed cool. Came home hooked up my car trailer made it about 2 miles up the road & RED HOT. I am out of opp. I give up I guess I just will not pull anything. Thanks for all the help.
Aw, you can't just give up!
Gotta be something serious, could be a leaky head gasket... not good news, but really, that's the only thing that will get it red-hot under load...
Unless something else is freaky... maybe the radiator is clogged up? Did you get it checked and/or dipped to clean it?
well I think I have it fixed I took thr Radiator and had it diped and cleened & they said it was really bad. so thanks alot krewat I think I have it fixed.