Running hotter than normal
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Running hotter than normal
My stock 96 f-250 has started running hotter than it used to. Driving in town or at highway speeds the needle on the stock guage is on the "R", this is with the truck empty. Towing my 9500 lb travel trailer at 65mph the needle is just past the "L" which worries me. I've flushed the radiator, replaced the temp sensor and the thermostat and the fan clutch appears to be working properly. Any suggestions?
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Originally Posted by cookie88
Can you hear the fan locking up? When it is in direct drive it howls loudly. If you can't hear it running with the temp up that high I'd suggest the clutch may be the problem.
As for your engine, running hot, if your clutch fan does operate with the howling like cookie said. I;ve seen this twice but may not necessarly be your problem, I've seen the impeller on a water pump lossen on the water pump shaft. So the impeller would still spin but slip on the shaft which does'nt give you the flow required. If the fan clutch turns out to be OK, I know its alot of work but maybe pull of your waterpump to inspect it, if that turns out to be good then just use a little silicone and install it back on again. I've never took my water pump or seen a psd water pump off so I dont know if its a press fit on the shaft but cant see why not.
Hold up and let a few more people chime in
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Silver Lake Dunes, MI
also chech the upper hose when the truck is hot to see if the upper hose is hot. if its not you have a malfuncting thermostat. also everyone of us should have a real temp gauge in our truck instead of the junk stock guage that has us describing our engine temp with n-o-r-m-a-l's. i put an autometer temp guage in and its a welcome releif to know exactly how warm my engine is. I have heard of many who really are over heating and the guage never told them that.
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Also, new thermostat or not, I've seen new ones fail. If thier difficult to replace I throw them in a pot of hot water with a temp gauge over the stove and check to see how thier operating even if thier new out of the package. Also make sure your resivoir cap is functioning good., thery thats our rad cap
My friend spent 2 weeks on his Volkswagon van with the rear engine flat 4 cylinder in the back, he did everything from changing the hoses, to rad, to pulling heads off thinking it was a internal problem. The new thermostate was no good.
My friend spent 2 weeks on his Volkswagon van with the rear engine flat 4 cylinder in the back, he did everything from changing the hoses, to rad, to pulling heads off thinking it was a internal problem. The new thermostate was no good.
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Ditto that - putting in a REAL temp gauge. I'm glad I did. It identified that I was running way to cold - 180 degrees most of the time.
I changed out the t-stat for a 205 from Dieselsite - now the glorified idiot gauge reads at the "R" @ 205 degrees. It was running @ the "N" and the real gauge read 180.
Not sure if this helps any. I'm sure all the stock temp gauges read differently. Bottom line: get a real temp gauge.
I changed out the t-stat for a 205 from Dieselsite - now the glorified idiot gauge reads at the "R" @ 205 degrees. It was running @ the "N" and the real gauge read 180.
Not sure if this helps any. I'm sure all the stock temp gauges read differently. Bottom line: get a real temp gauge.
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Originally Posted by DAVID'S97F250HD
Flat down the highway while pulling a load should it still go on? you got a 65mph wind blasting in the rad.
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It's been almost a month since my original post. I haven't had an opportunity to tow my trailer until today. I installed an Auto Meter gauge and also replaced the water pump (seal started to leak). Fan clutch is engaging, no doubt about this due to noise produced. Temp gauge reads 200 degrees at highway speed with empty truck. Towing the trailer today at highway speed temp was between 230-240 degrees, quickly drops when speed reduces. Is this too hot? Seems high to me. Is this an indication of blockage in the radiator?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Silver Lake Dunes, MI
seems too hot to me. i did some 14k gross towing in back road very hilly terrain with some highway hilly pulls and it ran 200 steady the whole time. i would say the rad is not flowing full out.
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From: MICHIGAN
Originally Posted by rguidry
Towing the trailer today at highway speed temp was between 230-240 degrees, quickly drops when speed reduces. Is this too hot? Seems high to me. Is this an indication of blockage in the radiator?
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Thanks for the replies. I was hoping to avoid a radiator replacement, but it has to have some blockage. I'll pull it so I can get a look and make the call to have a shop clean/core it or replace. Thanks again for your input.
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Originally Posted by rguidry
It's been almost a month since my original post. I haven't had an opportunity to tow my trailer until today. I installed an Auto Meter gauge and also replaced the water pump (seal started to leak). Fan clutch is engaging, no doubt about this due to noise produced. Temp gauge reads 200 degrees at highway speed with empty truck. Towing the trailer today at highway speed temp was between 230-240 degrees, quickly drops when speed reduces. Is this too hot? Seems high to me. Is this an indication of blockage in the radiator?
I just went through this with my friends cummins diesil in his dodge, his rad was plugged solid, went to thye car wash and gave it a squirt, temps dropped after that. Just a suggestion.
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From: AZ
I had the same thing happen to me a couple years ago. I replaced the factory motorcraft thermostat with a napa one. It would heat up really fast and stay in the middle of the gauge. Pulling a load it would go past the "L" (not good). Had the dealership install a new motorcraft thermostat, they said the napa one didnt open up enough when it needed to. Maybe it could be the same problem you are having. Use a motorcraft part.
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From: Kearney, Nebr
One thing I've noticed on my rig is when the fan does kick on my autometer temp gauge does not register any lower? I know when I'm driving a big rig and the fan kicks on the temp goes down 20 or so degrees.