Never trust generic t-stats

SirRea63l

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I had decided several months ago to re-do my cooling system, the truck ran warm on the highway and the fan never kicked on. I didn’t have a real gauge in it until recently but haven’t been driving the truck except around our property. It had a squeak when accelerating or reving the engine, I already replaced the tensioner and idler pulley, it didn’t fix my squeak, I figured it may be the water pump, it has a very slight wiggle to it with belt off. I have been gathering parts..

Champion 3 row aluminum radiator
Motorcraft t-stat
FlowKooler water pump
Hayden 2833 fan clutch
Mahler water pump gasket
Gates radiator hoses
Gates serp belt

The radiator is full of calcium deposits, it is the original radiator and is on borrowed time. I was going to flush it but decided not to risk it. I got that heavy radiator out, but the fan clutch nut would not budge, it looks original as well. Heat and Napa rental tool didn’t do it. I took the pump off with fan and clutch still attached. If I could have found the fan and pulley I would have replaced them, but since I couldn’t I had the get the old ones off, that meant some destruction. :D

I took the t-stat housing off and found this...a crappy generic t-stat. The thing was ruptured and the guts puking out.

The previous owner is a friend, a reverend and a poor mechanic, he should have read the Tech Articles here, it would have helped him.
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The water pump has more RTV than actual gasket and the t-stat gasket looks like it was re-used. :laughing: I have limited destruction tools so a couple drill bits, a sawzall with dull metal blades and a 3 pound sledge were my tools. I got the old fan clutch completely destroyed and only a tiny amount of fluid ran out of it.

Tomorrow I get to remove a pound of RTV and hopefully get the water pump back in.
 

Clb

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coulda been worse only if it locked closed, phawk china...
and rtv.
go slow, check out the bleed check ball port.
enjoy the new cooling system.
 

SirRea63l

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I have to scrape a lot of RTV off and I expect the ball to be there, but clogged up with calcium deposits. One or both of the two previous owners ran tap water in it. We have very hard water in Central Texas, I suspect I will have to give it a vinegar bath.

I am also going to have to research coolants, I need to fine one safe for the aluminum radiator. I have been running Fleet charge in it, but I have it in my mind it isn’t aluminum safe. Going to have to read up a little.
 

Thewespaul

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This is how bad my coolant used to be. Hard Texas water in our brass radiator is baddd. Vinegar and the same replacents that you are doing made it good as new

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SirRea63l

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The surprising thing to me is the water passages I see in the block are clean, I expected some calcification on them. One thing I know, I don’t ever want to do this job again.

I did this job in my old E38 BMW, it was 100 times easier and I did it about a month after back surgery. The price was hideous though, about a grand to replace everything. This old Ford is much harder but much cheaper too.
 

snicklas

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I’m using Zerex G-05 in my IDI with an aluminum radiator. Advance has it on the shelf here. It also meets the spec for the older gaskets and seals.
 

SirRea63l

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Thanks Scott, I saw it as well.

There is more differing opinions on coolant than any other topic for these old trucks. I would run one if the newer OAT ones if I was positive every old piece of rubber had been replaced, but I cannot.
 

Macrobb

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I'm using zerex hd elc, a very similar coolant to the g-05, slightly more expensive and probably slightly longer lasting? Either way, it's also good for the older seals.
Edit: and I'm running it on trucks where I'm sure the rubber has *not* been replaced.
 

SirRea63l

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I'm using zerex hd elc, a very similar coolant to the g-05, slightly more expensive and probably slightly longer lasting? Either way, it's also good for the older seals.
Edit: and I'm running it on trucks where I'm sure the rubber has *not* been replaced.

Are you using the Nitrite free or the pre-charged that needs an extender?
 

Hydro-idi

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This is how bad my coolant used to be. Hard Texas water in our brass radiator is baddd. Vinegar and the same replacents that you are doing made it good as new

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What the hell is that? Your truck have bad Mexican food....:rotflmao.

When I bought my rig, engine always ran real cool. I finally got around to replacing t-stat and it had broken as well. One of the 3 braces ended up breaking. It looked exactly the same as yours so it must have been the same Chinese junk.
 

SirRea63l

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I learned long ago to pay the little extra for good parts, the guy I bought the truck from didn’t learn that.

I got the gasket off the t-stat housing, the ball is there but was heavily calcified. It is cleaned and good enough to work again.
 

icanfixall

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Use distilled water and you wont have the deposits any longer. Use tap or well water and you will always have calcium build up in the radiator.
 

towcat

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This is how bad my coolant used to be. Hard Texas water in our brass radiator is baddd. Vinegar and the same replacents that you are doing made it good as new

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all of a sudden, I don't feel so bad about my filthy engine compartment. :eek:

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chillman88

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all of a sudden, I don't feel so bad about my filthy engine compartment. :eek:

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My Chevy used to look worse than that. Playing in the mud did it to mine.

As much red dirt as is EVERYWHERE on my IDI I'd wager it has looked like yours a time or two as well.

I'm debating replacing my thermostat. Mine seems to run a little warm. When it's in the 90s here if I drive agressively the fan runs quite a bit. I really need to get some good gauges on it...
 

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