460 cooling problems
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Senior User
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From: Livonia Michigan
460 cooling problems
My truck tended to overheat in traffic so I tried to fix it. I had a regular flex type fan and only a 1/4 chrome type shroud,so I got a full shroud and mounted a 2500 cfm electric fan as a puller to the radiator and got rid of the flex fan.Now I overheat worse than ever, I'm only running water in the system now and I put in a new thermastat but it still runs HOTTER. Because of the build I don't have much room between the waterpump pully and the radiator so I mounted the electric fan fairly high on the radiator, I can't see that being the problem.
Need help
John
Need help
John
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Coal country
Check your actual temperature - is your description of "hot" and "hotter" a gauge indicator only? Or is it actual temperature - as in boiling over?
Are the fans blowing the correct direction? Check it physically, to make sure the fans are blowing air towards the engine. Inadvertant wire switching around could cause them to blow the incorrect direction, in reverse (towards the front of the truck).
Check coolant flow in the radiator top. The water pump's impeller may have come loose, or corroded beyond the ability to move enough water fast enough.
Is the lower radiator hose stiffened against collapse?
I assume the radiator is not clogged internally as well.
If none of these solutions work, I would look at an intake leak, lean mixture, timing or other engine issues.
Good luck, and post back with what you find.
Are the fans blowing the correct direction? Check it physically, to make sure the fans are blowing air towards the engine. Inadvertant wire switching around could cause them to blow the incorrect direction, in reverse (towards the front of the truck).
Check coolant flow in the radiator top. The water pump's impeller may have come loose, or corroded beyond the ability to move enough water fast enough.
Is the lower radiator hose stiffened against collapse?
I assume the radiator is not clogged internally as well.
If none of these solutions work, I would look at an intake leak, lean mixture, timing or other engine issues.
Good luck, and post back with what you find.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Union, Washington
Straight water or straight anti-freeze does not cool anywhere near as well as a 50/50 mix of water/anti-freeze. And eveything banjopicker said. What year truck as the '83 and for trucks had a smaller cooling system, which was problem?
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Joined: Nov 2003
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From: TX
I doubt that a 2500cfm fan is enough for a 460. Plus, the electric fan only pulls air thorugh the radiator where it sits against it. A regular fan with a fan shroud pulls through all of the radiator area.
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From: Livonia Michigan
yes tx i,m thinking the same thing,this is a mildly built 466,and i don't think this electric fan is big enough. i just order a one inch fan spacer to put a regular fan back on and get it into the shroud half way. anyone have thoughts on what kind of fan to get? it has to be 17 or 18, I've never been much of a "fan" of the flex type.
John
John
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From: Coal country
I would suggest the Ford stock clutch fan, with a mid-70s 7 blade fan.
My 460 is in a '66 F-100, and is as follows:
RV cam and straight-up cam gears;
a 190 degree thermostat;
is bored 60 over, so it is about what, a 470 something?
has the Ford stock clutch fan from an '86 F-250;
has a 7-blade stock fan blade from a '79 F-150 with a 400 in it;
has the stock radiator upgraded to a 4 row core instead of a 2 row core as came in the truck originally;
does not have a shroud on it (no room);
- but runs quite cool in upper 80 - lower 90 degree weather, idling or at 75 mph.
My 460 is in a '66 F-100, and is as follows:
RV cam and straight-up cam gears;
a 190 degree thermostat;
is bored 60 over, so it is about what, a 470 something?
has the Ford stock clutch fan from an '86 F-250;
has a 7-blade stock fan blade from a '79 F-150 with a 400 in it;
has the stock radiator upgraded to a 4 row core instead of a 2 row core as came in the truck originally;
does not have a shroud on it (no room);
- but runs quite cool in upper 80 - lower 90 degree weather, idling or at 75 mph.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,056
Likes: 8
From: Union, Washington
My '84 F250 460 had one of the 3 row radiators and a 5 blade fan and had a slow overheat on long climbs. A 7 blade fan and the 4 core cured it.
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Tuned
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Mine used to run cool under all circumstances, but then I had to have the carb rebuilt in order to pass smog (CA) and now it is a LOT leaner and gets hot idling or in traffic jams in 100+F temps.
Timing is currently set at 6BTDC (idle), again to pass smog, but I'm gonna go to 12BTDC and see how that affects the coolant temp.
Timing is currently set at 6BTDC (idle), again to pass smog, but I'm gonna go to 12BTDC and see how that affects the coolant temp.
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Postmaster
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From: Escondido, CA
I'm running my 466 with the stock 64 f-100 radiator with a thermo clutch 7 blade fan from a 76 Lincoln and a 160 thermostat. The only issues I had came after the cam walked back and forth in the engine just recently. That threw my ignition timing all sorts of out of whack.
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Senior User
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From: Livonia Michigan
Thanks for all the advice, I'm going to put the whole project on hold for awhile because I broke my arm over the weekend and it's going to have to wait til I come off the IR list.I think I'm going to replace with a new 17in. steel fan in the new shroud.
John
John
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To me it sound like you have a few problems.
1st: Water in radiator is not good. It can cause a white calcium build up in radiator. take off cap and see if you have stuff floating around in water, if you can look down the core see if there is stuff blocking water, I have a cross flow in my truck so i can't see mine. you need 50/50 mix and i would recamend to add watter wetter. you can get it from any auto parts for about 9$, its pink about half a quart. It helps cool the water and prevents calcium build up. also use distilled water from the market. you probley need 2 gallons.
2nd: A electric fans is not enough flow to cool these bigger engines. If you can find one big enough they are about $500.
I bet you, it's your radiator plugged up. I have figured out its cheaper to buy new radiator instead of trying to clean out your old one. If you have plastic tanks on your radiator, they usually don't go back to gether right and leak. here is a good link for radiators at fair prices if they go back to the older ones like yours. good luck
www.radiatorbarn.com
1st: Water in radiator is not good. It can cause a white calcium build up in radiator. take off cap and see if you have stuff floating around in water, if you can look down the core see if there is stuff blocking water, I have a cross flow in my truck so i can't see mine. you need 50/50 mix and i would recamend to add watter wetter. you can get it from any auto parts for about 9$, its pink about half a quart. It helps cool the water and prevents calcium build up. also use distilled water from the market. you probley need 2 gallons.
2nd: A electric fans is not enough flow to cool these bigger engines. If you can find one big enough they are about $500.
I bet you, it's your radiator plugged up. I have figured out its cheaper to buy new radiator instead of trying to clean out your old one. If you have plastic tanks on your radiator, they usually don't go back to gether right and leak. here is a good link for radiators at fair prices if they go back to the older ones like yours. good luck
www.radiatorbarn.com
Last edited by Mrgeoff; Aug 26, 2006 at 02:54 PM.
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