Overheating...need help
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From: St.Augustine,FL
Overheating...need help
I have a 89' F-150 4x4 I6 4 speed that continues to run hot either when idleing or on the highway. I have replaced the water pump, thermostsat, fan clutch and shroud. It also has a new radiator and have checked the timing. Is there something that i'm overlooking? Please help
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From: St.Augustine,FL
4x4fordtrkn, thanks for the reply, i'm sure there is no air in the system but concerned that the cat needs replacing. Truck has 127k on it. It does not overheat around town, only idle and hwy speeds. Could the cat cause this to happen?
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Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Houston TX
Could the cat cause this to happen?
I guess it's possible, but I would think it would do it at
city speeds also, if it did it at idle, and highway both...
Are you sure you are actually overheating? Might be a flaky
senser, etc... MK
I guess it's possible, but I would think it would do it at
city speeds also, if it did it at idle, and highway both...
Are you sure you are actually overheating? Might be a flaky
senser, etc... MK
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Augusta, Maine
Overspilling could also be caused by just overfilling the radiator. Hot liquid expands and needs a place to go. Do you have a coolant expansion tank, is it working properly. If not equipped with tank make sure you leave at least one inch below top of radiator for expansion.
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From: St.Augustine,FL
Yes, the coolant overflow tank is there. I really don't think it's a coolant problem but more of something else preventing it from keeping cool. Thanks in advance
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Senior User
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From: Florida
Check you're spark plugs and see if one or all of them are dry, ashy, or white. A lean condition will cause over heating bad. Could be a small leak on the intake side.
Dose it seem to have lost any power? A bad cat will prevent the exhaust from flowing, thus causing the exhaust to "plug up" the engine which will over heat it or most times it will not run at all if it's that bad.
Dose it seem to have lost any power? A bad cat will prevent the exhaust from flowing, thus causing the exhaust to "plug up" the engine which will over heat it or most times it will not run at all if it's that bad.
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From: Philadelphia
check the bottom radiator hose. If it's soft, it's possible that the pressure from the coolant being sucked out of the radiator could cause it to squeeze together causing a blockage of flow.
just a thought
just a thought
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Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Houston TX
Hummmm... Weird, being most culprits have been replaced...
Yep, a collapsed bottom hose could do it. Wonder if the "new"
stat is ok? Probably, but being new is no sure thing. As far as
the cat, you could use a vacuum gauge to check that. With the
gauge on a good strong port, raise the RPMs and see if the vacuum
recovers fast. If so, it should be ok. But if it "hangs" for a while,
and then slips back, it might be clogged. As far as lean running,
it will make the chamber temps much hotter, etc, but I'm semi dubious if that would cause the extreme overheating you seem
to be having. In the past cases of lean burning cars I've worked
on with white plugs, none overheated to the extent of what he is
seeing. I guess it could happen though...I've seen stranger things. Dang...At this point, I'm starting to question the water
pump, and stat, being the radiator is new. I wonder what would
happen with the stat yanked as a test.... Not that I would leave it that way... Driving with no stat is a bad idea... If I think of anything else, I'll pass it on...You right, this is kinda weird... MK
Yep, a collapsed bottom hose could do it. Wonder if the "new"
stat is ok? Probably, but being new is no sure thing. As far as
the cat, you could use a vacuum gauge to check that. With the
gauge on a good strong port, raise the RPMs and see if the vacuum
recovers fast. If so, it should be ok. But if it "hangs" for a while,
and then slips back, it might be clogged. As far as lean running,
it will make the chamber temps much hotter, etc, but I'm semi dubious if that would cause the extreme overheating you seem
to be having. In the past cases of lean burning cars I've worked
on with white plugs, none overheated to the extent of what he is
seeing. I guess it could happen though...I've seen stranger things. Dang...At this point, I'm starting to question the water
pump, and stat, being the radiator is new. I wonder what would
happen with the stat yanked as a test.... Not that I would leave it that way... Driving with no stat is a bad idea... If I think of anything else, I'll pass it on...You right, this is kinda weird... MK
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Northern California
You could haqve gotten a bad thermostat out of the box. For that matter I've had the bad luck of getting a bad water pump out of the box too. Wouldn't pump the water. 
I always check my new thermostats with a candy thermometer and a pot of boiling water. If it fluctuates more than + or - 1 degree either way I get another one etc...
You can check the water pump or a clogged radiator as well by taking off the radiator cap on a cold engine, warm it up to normal temp and rev the engine and notice if the water gets sucked down into the engine and notice the flow of water returning. Be careful of splashing coolant during this test. If there isn't any flow on a warmed up engine, there is a blockage of some kind, the pump is not working or the thermostat isn't opening.
Hope this helps.
I always check my new thermostats with a candy thermometer and a pot of boiling water. If it fluctuates more than + or - 1 degree either way I get another one etc...
You can check the water pump or a clogged radiator as well by taking off the radiator cap on a cold engine, warm it up to normal temp and rev the engine and notice if the water gets sucked down into the engine and notice the flow of water returning. Be careful of splashing coolant during this test. If there isn't any flow on a warmed up engine, there is a blockage of some kind, the pump is not working or the thermostat isn't opening.
Hope this helps.
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May 7, 2004 11:02 AM