So today it's flippin hot. strait up. like, 80 degree's out.

i live in portland, or. (by gateway) and work in milwaukie. today, as i'm driving to work, i have my front ac on, tunes, and am doing 65-70 on the free way. i get off @ the milwaukie exit, come up to the light, and notice that my temp needle is on the "A" in NORMAL. that makes me a little bit un comfortable. but i think w/e... any ways my boss had me run to the local jack in the box, and noticed the same problem (only this time waiting in the drive through).

i'm going to do the cardboard test on my clutch fan when i get off work...

OH U haul (the place that i work) sells aftermarket tranny coolers for between 50 and 80 bux. two different' sizes. the smaller one looks like it's 6" by 8", and the larger "heavy duty" one looks to be about 10"x12".

would a tranny cooler help keep my temp down? or am i possibly looking @ a failing water pump?

thanks alot!

 

Did you check your coolant level? If not, that would be the first thing I would check. If that is good.... Then I would try replacing the T-Stat and see if that helps. (while replacing that, replace your Temp sender right next to it.) If not, then you are looking at a clogging condition or the Water pump is on it's last leg. I would say it is the later.

I doubt it would be the fan because you were on the freeway (I assume traviling at 55mph+) so the fan barely goes into the equation of overheating.

A hot tranny would raise the temperature of your engine, but it does take alot to heat up a tranny on an 80 degree day. You would need to be pulling something heavy or have a pretty good load inside, so I doubt a tranny cooler would solve your heating issue.

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

Feel your radiator after your engine has warmed up. (it should be very hot to the touch at that temperature) If it isn't, your thermostat is probably bad. Try the cardboard test and see how it goes. It could be the water pump but, not as likely as the thermostat. I would replace the thermostat before the water pump considering they are only a few bucks.

 

First off I'd like to congratulate you . You get to look at this site while at work?!?!!?? Quick--someone play the "Hero has come home award! Just playin. They'd throw me in the brig if I did that on Gov time.

Temp-Temp who's got the temp. Yes I've had the "LETTER" climb before on my first Aero-my 1990 (I miss her) back in Missouri.

I had gunk-(thick old antifreeze in a gel form that wouldn't allow complete circulation). You've had many post-I'm not sure if you've posted that you've gone into the rad. before as far as flushing or draining etc...

Pop your hood. Grab a hold of your plastic fan. Yes I know that you'll pronanly see stress cracks between the blades measuring about a quarter to a half an inch, but pay no attention to that for now. Position yourself so that you can grab a blade at 9 O'clock with your left hand and 3 O'clock with your right. When I say "grab" I mean work your hands close and into the center base where they come out. Now without really forcing everything just simply try to pull forward with one hand than the other hand. Kind of like in a for and aft movement. You are allowed the slightest of play almost unrecognizable. If you have "wobble" that you can physically tell is about ---oh lets say a quarter of an inch to about a half of an inch travel (you'll feel it) then you've got a bad water pump.

Now lets play the game "Weep hole weep hole who's got the weep hole! Now take a very bright flash light (day time inspection) not so bright light in the dark. With your engine off and on your back ever so easily slide under your bumper and peer up to the bottom neck of your water pump just as it appears to be coming away from the block. You should see the weep hole at the 6 O'clock position. If there has been a recent failure of its first seal you'll see a dried stain of rust color or of the nicer green color. If this is the case you are looking at the reason of over-heating and soon to be stranded in Margeriettaville situation. Once the first seal fails you have a second one. After the second one fails you will then start to hear the ol' "Tin can" noise. This is the metalic noise that means "Exit stage left process" which in retrospect means shine your hiking thumb-there's soon to be a melt down Houston control.

Your card board process will then have a new meaning. You can place it behind your rad. so that you don't pop a hole in it while removing assy's from the pump area ieu fan blade, pump, bolts etc...

Don't forget you will not you the process of loosening your large fan clutch by the "Lefty loosey Righty tighty" process. You will be loosening the not (I believe a size 22 mm (not sure by the normal tightening sequence okay.

Engine heat? Listen-I've always used the process of touching the heater hoses instead of area's on the motor. It works for me as far as seeing if there is circulation going to the heater core. It is off to the left of all the moving (finger eating) parts.

Like the gentlemen said-start small (cheaper) then work big (more costly). Good Luck --Boz

 

well as long as the cardboard test is this:

"let the car cool down.

take a piece of card board, and keep it near by

start the car up

take the card board and try to stop the fan from spinning.

if it does, you're fine. if it eats up the cardboard, you have a sticking fan clutch."

i did it, and my fan blades did NOT want to stop spinning. so if i did the trick right that means i have a sticking fan clutch.

if that's the case, then i'm switching over to electric fan status. that way, when i have the AC on, the drag placed on the motor will act like the combo of fan/water pump alt and power steering, vs. fan/water pump, alt, power steering and AC.

bozz, last fall i did a full flush on my cooling system, and as far as i know i got all that goop out. and belive me, it was BAD: i couldn't drain my rad. from the drain plug when the van was cold.

in other news i ordered my headlight relay setup tonight (for those who are curious, it's from here: Upgraded Headlight Harness for 94 to 04 Ford with 9007 Bulbs).

say... what are the hardlines that go to the rad. attached to? i may replace my cooling stuff next pay day (under 40 bux for water pump/thermostat, and then about another 40-60 for a rad) and wanna know what else i'll need (besides some patience, coolant and distilled water, and a lower rad. hose. oh and tools)

 

If your fan is really sticking, it should help cool the radiator, or make the engine run too cold. The feeling of the radiator is a pretty good test to see if it's clogged. Usually, it should be very hot on the inlet side, especially near the top. Clogging from deposits usually occurs in the upper cores, usually caused by low coolant levels. See if the upper cores feel cool when the other parts of the radiator is hot while the engine is hot. On the Aero, the best way to do this may be from underneath, unless you remove the grille.

 

DCRB! Bad fan clutch is a usual problem. But sometimes electric fan got on a junkyard is much cheapper new fan clutch (do not get used one, bad bearings inside and it is ready to get stucked again ore bad seals and fluid may go away any time). Add one relay, small thermoswitch (170-180 dgr) and cut in upper radiator hose fitting for switch.

 

that's exactly what i am wanting to do. but what relay do i need, and how would i wire it up, through the ignition switch?

or would it simply be hooked up through the battery, and whenever the coolant got up past say, 170dgr it'd automaticaly turn on the fan?

 

hat's exactly what i am wanting to do. but what relay do i need, and how would i wire it up, through the ignition switch?
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It is from term. 30 powered. No ignition switch. It may work for a minute ore more when engine is off.

 

You shouldn't need a tranny cooler under normal driving conditions. 80 degrees is nothing! I had a bad fan clutch in my Aero and it never affected the temp.
If your coolant level is okay, I'm guessing it's your radiator too. I had the same thing happen on my TurboCoupe. They just get old and don't flow well.

Fan Clutches & Fan Blades

 

yeah i think my rad. is bad... i warmed it up, and every where that i could fit my hands in the grill, and it felt cool... so either way i think it's time for a cooling system update. the most expensive part is the rad.

 

You can try to get it rodded out. It's not as expensive as a replacement but for all the work I would just get another. It's going to set you back about $150 though. You might try the other suggestions first but I'm betting you'll be back.

 

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... ebay has new rads for 35 bux then another 35 for shipping... vs having it rodded out for 150? what is rodding any ways?..........

not trying to sound like a smart ***... but sometimes i feel it's easyer to just go w something new vs. constantly trying to fix the old.

but i really do want to know what rodding is

 

Is this possible with our aluminum core with the plastic tanks glued to it? I've done this with an old brass core that had the tanks soldered to it. BTW, It gave new life to the radiator. It was run low with mineral-rich tap water, which evaporated and clogged up all the upper cores.

 

I'm not sure what they can do with the plastic/aluminum combo. It might not be possible. $150 was RockAuto's approx price for a new 4.0 radiator for reference. Rodding is much less if you bring it in yourself.