'93 f-150 5.8L 4X4 extended cab.

Towing my boat, climbing hills, or driving in town with the ac on, my truck likes to heat up. It still has the original radiator and stock fan with heavy duty clutch (both are in good working condition). Has shroud.

New 195 t-stat, water pump, and flushed last year. 60/40 coolant/dis water mix.

I live in Phoenix where it's 10 in the morning and 100 degrees right now.

If anybody has any ideas of how I could permanently fix this problem, or has had a problem like this, and how you fixed it. I don't know if it would take a aluminum radiator or an electric fan. I just don't like seeing the gauge read above normal (middle).

HELP PLEASE

 

I've seen many vehicles, new and old, overheat while climbing or towing with the a/c on. Do you still overheat under these conditions, but without the a/c? If not, then it's pretty simple.
But get a real temp gauge reading, don't rely solely on the factory gauge. And assuming you don't have any sort of blockage, a bigger radiator would help with this problem.

 

Towing the boat, and climbing are with the a/c off. no blockage that i know about.

put on new head gaskets last year; thinking that was the problem, with no change.

 

Does the truck have the single core rad? If so upgrade to the dual core. Electric fans would also help but may not be necessary with the bigger rad.

 

My truck came stock with a dual core. I can't see any debris in the radiator and or water/coolant. I think I'm just going to R&R the radiator, and then if there is another problem, then e-fan.

 

Does the clutch driven fan engage when the temperature gauge shows higher than normal temperatures??

 

Make sure that both the rad core and A/C condenser are free of debris that could restrict air flow.

 

clutch does engage when it heats up, and there is no restricted air flow.

 

I just replaced the original fan clutch in my '94 F-150. I had been putting it off the last 2 summers, but last week she was starting to run real hot in traffic. Of course it would cool off after cruising non-stop for a while.

I submit this theory. Your fan clutch is bad.

Mine felt like the new one when I spun it by hand, but I don't think the thermostatic coil was functional.

Here's something I realized right away after replacing the clutch. When the truck is getting hot from a lot of city driving, the clutch kicks in and as I leave the stoplight and accelerate in each gear I get a roaring sound like I'm really revving the truck up, but I'm not.

I had let the problem go so long that I had forgotten that it made that noise.

It's a 100 here in Fort Worth but now the truck temp gauge stays on "N"...

But, this is just my theory. New clutch was $39.95 at Autozone...

 

Sorry, I missed your post where you said you knew the clutch was engaging...

 

No, he said "still has the original radiator and stock fan with heavy duty clutch (both are in good working condition)". I believe you are right, jesterdog.

How do you know the fan clutch is good? Feeling the drag or hearing "the roar" is absolutely no indicator of a weak fan clutch. That will only tell you if it is or isn't completely dead.
Did you check it with a strobe tachometer? That is the only way to "test" a fan clutch.
If that fan clutch is original, or is an aftermarket clutch over about 4-5 years old, there's your culprit.
Towing and climbing hills produces tons of heat heat in the RPM range where the fan clutch is most needed. If it's weak, you will overheat.
A 15 year old clutch is looonnngg overdue for replacement and aftermarket clutches are only good for about 4-5 years on average. Aftermarket clutches also often fall short under these exact conditions even when new, even the "Heavy Duty" ones.
Bite the bullet and spend the money on a Motorcraft fan clutch if you are going to actually "work" your truck.

 

How big a load are you towing?
what speed are you going when it starts to heat up? At 55 a new fan or clutch isn't going to solve your problem.
Have you replaced the rad cap?
Have the radiator flushed and the inner core checked? Crud buildup can dramitcally reduce how well a radiator works.

Someone mentioned the AC condensor, an excellent point. Check it and make sure theres adaquate airflow thru it.

 

The ROAR is there. The fan clutch was new last year, and I upgraded it from a 'stock' to heavy-duty. It was a special order part for my truck; ie-upgraded. I cannot see any restrictions within the condensor/radiator.

Towing a 21' ski boat. Tandem axle trailer, with all new parts(bearings, tires, etc.).

I'm going to send out the radiator, and have it rodded and recored. Hopefully that does it.

 

Yeah, I'd say poor flow through radiator. At least that's what I'd do next...not that that's the right thing to do

 

based on my experiences, I would say the radiator. Try a flush yourself. If this doesn't help, then I would replace the radiator.
One way to check it is when you truck gets hot, turn on the heater. Then see if the temperature goes down. If it does, then more that likely it's the radiator. You have a 93, so its about due for one. I picked up a heavy duty one real cheap on ebay for my 95 a couple of months ago.