Cole Roberts
Registered User
First post, looking for some help.
I have an 89 F250 with a 7.3. I recently added a banks turbo on it. While I was doing the turbo I also replaced the thermostat (with a motorcraft thermostat) And did a radiator flush.
For the first two weeks the truck ran good and cold with no issues. About 190 degrees. (I installed a mechanical water temp gauge.)
A few days ago I went to tow my ski boat with the truck. Which is about 5,000lbs, I was on the freeway for about 15 miles doing about 60MPH and my water temp gauge crept up to about 220 before I pulled over. The truck cooled down while idling. And I was able to get to my destination before it got too hot again. On my drive home without the trailer it got hot again, about 220. I got a coolant meter and tested my coolant. It was rated about -35 so I drained about a gallon and a half and added distilled water. It now reads about -20.
I drove it about 15 miles the next morning to work and it stayed cool, about 190 the whole time. When I got off work I ran multiple errands around town which consisted of freeway and street driving and it never got hot. But when I was driving home which is all freeway it got hot again. I pulled over and let it cool then limped home. A few hours later I drove it on a rough dirt road, so I was going slow, for about 45 minutes and the temp never went over 190.
My dipstick and oil cap look good. I am planning on getting test strips for my coolant to see if there is any hydrocarbons in it which would indicate a blown head gasket. And or will try anything else that might indicate a blown head gasket that you guys know of. And maybe a cavitation year? Other than that I am stumped. In the 9 years of owning this truck I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard the fan turn on. But it has never had an overheating issue before. Maybe I need a more efficient water pump with the turbo? And or radiator?
I’m hoping someone else has had similar issues before I start replacing stuff. Thanks In advance.
I have an 89 F250 with a 7.3. I recently added a banks turbo on it. While I was doing the turbo I also replaced the thermostat (with a motorcraft thermostat) And did a radiator flush.
For the first two weeks the truck ran good and cold with no issues. About 190 degrees. (I installed a mechanical water temp gauge.)
A few days ago I went to tow my ski boat with the truck. Which is about 5,000lbs, I was on the freeway for about 15 miles doing about 60MPH and my water temp gauge crept up to about 220 before I pulled over. The truck cooled down while idling. And I was able to get to my destination before it got too hot again. On my drive home without the trailer it got hot again, about 220. I got a coolant meter and tested my coolant. It was rated about -35 so I drained about a gallon and a half and added distilled water. It now reads about -20.
I drove it about 15 miles the next morning to work and it stayed cool, about 190 the whole time. When I got off work I ran multiple errands around town which consisted of freeway and street driving and it never got hot. But when I was driving home which is all freeway it got hot again. I pulled over and let it cool then limped home. A few hours later I drove it on a rough dirt road, so I was going slow, for about 45 minutes and the temp never went over 190.
My dipstick and oil cap look good. I am planning on getting test strips for my coolant to see if there is any hydrocarbons in it which would indicate a blown head gasket. And or will try anything else that might indicate a blown head gasket that you guys know of. And maybe a cavitation year? Other than that I am stumped. In the 9 years of owning this truck I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard the fan turn on. But it has never had an overheating issue before. Maybe I need a more efficient water pump with the turbo? And or radiator?
I’m hoping someone else has had similar issues before I start replacing stuff. Thanks In advance.