my gauge only gets a little above the "C" hash mark, always been like that, i need to replace my TSU

 

took some pics when i flushed mine. not sure if they will help anyone, but here they are:

the kit ~$6:


where i cut the hose and installed the "T" for the garden hose to flush:


radiator cap where it all came out (also opened drain at lower left of radiator)

 

considering the core snt expensive, i may just get one and throw it in, more of preventative maintence more than anything. I've always goten some weird noise when accelerating, especially when its cold kind of a tricke but with pressure...

i dunno, we'll see what happens

 

one of my lines going thru the firewall is hotter than the other?? i guess that means i need a new heater core? or at least take the glovebox out and check it? all other seems to be ok. ty kindly.
bill

 

your looking for a big difference in temp, onw will always be warmer considering one comes from the engine and the other is the return line

 

Mine has a new heater core, and the temperature on both lines is about the same. They are both too hot to hold on to for very long.
Frank

 

right, but think about it for a second, when the heats on (and working) the heat from the collant is being taken to heat the cab, thus the return will be mildly cooler than the send line... follow me?

 

You are correct, but the difference in temperature is not real great. My hand isn't real calibrated when it comes to hot.
Hell I'll go out and measure the temps right now.
Frank

 

you need to buy the snap-on hand calibrator.

it should not cost more than $150.

 

I have a thermocouple that attaches to my multitester. It appears to measure temps reasonably well. It measures air temp accurately, and when pressed against something hot , or cold, it responds as expected. Let's assume it is accurate enough for our purpose.
I got the truck idleing in a garage, heater turn full warm, and fan on high. This is a few months old heater core. As the engine came back up to temp, I could tell with the thermocouple when the thermostat opened. I'm measuring the surface of the heater hose, not the water temp inside the hose. I believe if the water temp goes up 10 deg, the heater hose also goes up about 10 deg, but that is an assumption. The heater hoses were measured a few inches from the firewall. I checked one and then quickly switched to the other, over and over. Temps overall varied from about 150 just before the thermostat open, to a low of about 135 deg. The temps were constantly changing as the thermostate opened and closed trying to maintain 185 deg internally.
The difference in temp from one hose to the other was neglible. I could not even tell if it was one deg. Holding it in my hand was even less telling. They are both hot.
Theroetically there has to be a temp difference between the in and out hose, because we have captured some of the heat inside the cab. In reality, there are so many BTUs flowing thru the hoses, and the heater core is so ineffecient, the temp difference is very small.
It was kind of cool watching the temp go up and down with the thermostat.
Good luck Frank

 

Are you aware of the fact that the heater circulation circuit bypasses the thermostat?

And a good thing to remember is if you are overheating due to a sticking thermostat or clogged innefficient radiator, turing on your heater is a good way to keep the engine cooler in an emergency situation, even in the summer.

 

On my old f150 I replaced three heater cores because the hard water in Texas eats through the copper. Now I use distilled water. If you have that gurgling sound check out your whole system because it could be you have a slow leak somewhere else. If you have aleak at the core you will usually smell it inside the cab. I also had a situation where a vacuum hose was clogged that provided vacuum to the valve in the blender. A coupling and 20 cents later it was fixed. Changing out the heater core is easy. My fastest time was 20 minutes. Good luck. It must be cold up there.

 

it usually takes about 20 min. for it to get fairly warm, not hot. fan blows strong. everyhing seems to be ok other than its not hot nuff to suit me. ty kindly
bill.

 

well i seemed to have solved my problem... low on coolant

 

Ha ha. yeah, that would do it too. Years ago I blew a head gasket and all of the coolant went into the oil. The first thing that clued me in was that the heater went cold. Lucky it was winter. Unlucky it was a 91 chebby beretta POS.

So, now the big question is where did the coolant go? Look for leaks and Check the oil! Hope you don't have a pan full of grey pudding. Is the exhaust steamy? white smoke? puddle under the truck?

EDIT:
oh yeah, you may want to run it a few seconds and then check the oil since the coolant might separate out and sink to the bottom past the dipstick. Does the stick show over full?