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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 08:03 AM
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Cooling System Question

On my 99 F350 with 173K miles.....if i run 75 mph at approx 2300 rpm, my truck will start to overheat and when i back it off to 70 mph (2000 rpm) it cools back down. I have already changed and put in the new 203 thermostat, as well as flushed the system. Would this be my waterpump going out or something with the radiator? Thanks
 
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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 08:16 AM
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Could the sensor be faulty? Could you have a bunch of crud blocking the cooling fins of the raddiator?
 
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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 08:23 AM
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What sensor are you talking about? May be wise for me to replace the whole radiator....i priced them at $250.....not sure what else to do here.
 
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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 08:28 AM
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I don't know if there is another sensor on the truck. Maybe there is one that the ECM sees and one that the gauge sees. My car does have it that way so maybe the truck does too. If that were the case, get a scanner to check if both sensors read overheat.
 
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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by wolftan
On my 99 F350 with 173K miles.....if i run 75 mph at approx 2300 rpm, my truck will start to overheat and when i back it off to 70 mph (2000 rpm) it cools back down. I have already changed and put in the new 203 thermostat, as well as flushed the system. Would this be my waterpump going out or something with the radiator? Thanks
Assuming you don't have anything blocking the airflow over the radiator; tree fuzz, 10,000 insects, a winterfront you forgot to remove, etc. Then I would be suspicious of a water pump impellor that is cavitated away.
 
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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 09:32 AM
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I guess the easiest and safe way is to go ahead and replace both water pump and radiator.....might as well if i have all that off. Where can i buy the tool needed to get that fan off?

Also, i notice some pretty cheap waterpumps on ebay for $85...wonder if those are any good.
 

Last edited by wolftan; Jun 5, 2006 at 09:35 AM.
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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 09:42 AM
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I would first go the sensor route to see if it IS really overheating or not. Then use a high pressure wash to clean off all the bugs. That is what I do whenever I see the condenser with too many bugs. Usually I do it once a month or so in the summer.

After that, I would go replacing parts. After all, if you do replace the radiator and the sensor is bad, would that cure the problem?
 
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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 11:32 AM
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the sensor is only for the gauge. the computer only looks are oil temp and doesn't care about water temp. i would check as many things as possible before you just replace the water pump and rad you would be at about $500 if you got really good deals on everything.
 
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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by aklim
...Then use a high pressure wash to clean off all the bugs. That is what I do whenever I see the condenser with too many bugs. Usually I do it once a month or so in the summer...
Be VERY careful if you choose to do this. If you have/use a pressure washer with any real power, and you don't keep the spray perfectly straight you will bend a large section of radiator fins and make things worse. FYI, having to straighten radiator fins is a serious PITA!
 
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Old Jun 5, 2006 | 01:05 PM
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thanks for the help fellas...i think i'll start with just the radiator, there is a leak in it anyway that i could not find and it looks pretty run down....173K on the same one is quite a bit.
 
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