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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 01:43 PM
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overheating

2002 f350 dual 4x4 engine overheats when towing 12k 5th wheel in mountains in colorado. fan clutch is working. dealer says everything checks out. only happens on long steep pulls. any ideas?
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 01:48 PM
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My first thought is..... the water pump - is it healthy?
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 01:48 PM
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Possible clogged/partial blockage of the radiator? or something blocking air from passing through the radiator? Do you have anything on the front of the truck that would block the air. How long of pulls are you doing? what speed and gear? What did the dealer check out?

Welcome to FTE, always good to see more and more joining.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 02:17 PM
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dealer checked cooling system. replaced t-stat. and installed a updated belt tensioner and belt. has done it since it was new. any long or steep grades (6%), when under load. between 40-60 mph. had a 99 powerstroke and never had any problem driving the same routes with same trailer.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 02:46 PM
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Fgibby, welcome to FTE.
Is your clutch fan engaging? I can only come up with maybe the thermostatic control for the lockup has failed and the cooling system is making more heat than can be shed without the fan working. It's an unmistable sound when it comes on. A huge banshee fan sound coming from under the hood.
I just returned from a vacation in the Cortez area, looking around at all the Anasazi Indian ruins. Interesting stuff.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 03:46 PM
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fan clutch is locking up for sure. was not until the new tensioner was put on, but still overheats.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 10:58 PM
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Originally Posted by fgibby
fan clutch is locking up for sure. was not until the new tensioner was put on, but still overheats.
I had a similar problem with my '91 460 gasser. The temperature would rise, but never boil over. I cured it by using a product by Redline called Water Wetter. It breaks the surface tension of the water and allows it to more easily transfer heat away from the engine.
After that the clutch fan would come on and roar whenever I was pulling a load with it but the temperature needle would never rise. The clutch fan would just get all the more louder. It would come on so hard you could feel it dragging the motor down.

http://www.redlineoil.com/products_c...p?productID=70
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 11:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Kwikkordead
I had a similar problem with my '91 460 gasser. The temperature would rise, but never boil over. I cured it by using a product by Redline called Water Wetter. It breaks the surface tension of the water and allows it to more easily transfer heat away from the engine.
After that the clutch fan would come on and roar whenever I was pulling a load with it but the temperature needle would never rise. The clutch fan would just get all the more louder. It would come on so hard you could feel it dragging the motor down.

http://www.redlineoil.com/products_coolant.asp?productID=70
2 things.

1. Make sure that the radiator is not blocked by the road crud

2. There is a regular water wetter and a diesel one. Get the right one as listed in the post
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 11:08 PM
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Originally Posted by fgibby
nstalled a updated belt tensioner and belt.
What is this updated belt tensioner and belt all about?
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 11:25 PM
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when i was first was trying to figure out the overheating the fan clutch was not engaging. after going round and round with the dealer they came up with a tsb for a new tensioner and belt for both dual and single alternators. the fan clutch would lock but slip on the belt. it fixed the fan clutch problem but not the overheating. it is an old tsb but i will try to find the #. I think it was limited to 02 models also.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2006 | 11:37 PM
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Mine did the same thing. Took it to a radiator place and they cleaned it out. They said there was blockage that resembled concrete on the tubes.

Fixed.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 08:00 AM
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I have the same issue and in the process of replacing waterpump.....my fan clutch engages from the moment i turn on the truck...is this normal?
 
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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 09:07 AM
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I live in NJ and bought my truck from TX. While driving from TX to NJ the truck overheated. Beside being towed and losing a day travel time, it was the water pump that caused the problem. The cause of the problem was the backing plate on the water pump, the holes eroded and water really was not circulating through the cooling system. The water was just spinning around in the water pump. Worth a shot to pull the water pump off and have a look at it if your radiator checks out ok.
 
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