envy me ye who live in hot climates

[jwalterus]

ok, so I finally decided to make a post on this issue, and everyone in anyplace hot is going to offer to fix the problem if they get to keep parts

this is my gauge cluster today running SD/ND 85 north

You must be registered for see images attach

notice an issue??? I do...... the same issue I've had since I got the truck......

this is the hottest I can get it, idling, running balls out for over 150 miles straight, it doesn't matter
it was 72*F today, full sunlight, a/c going, and I have cardboard covering the radiator!
temp gauge is accurate, it has not used a drop of coolant since I got it, and I can pull over at any point and pop off the radiator cap without it boiling out even a little bit!
it's great when it's 90*, kinda sucks when it's -20* and I can hardly get the windows to defrost
nothing is plugged, and it's good old 50/50 antifreeze

any ideas on this one???

oh, and by straight, I mean like a ******* arrow...... 160 miles of this ****...... with only 3 lazy curves, and they are within a 20 mile stretch

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[OLDBULL8]

Hard to believe that. Temp guage in the cluster don't mean ****. Whatever you have and say, you'd better get a patent on it. Cardboard in front of the radiator and no heat.

 

[jwalterus]

yeah, I have a mech temp gauge and a mech oil pressure, just haven't had the time to put them in yet, but this is something I am actually having an issue with, I wish it was an overheating problem, at least that I could fix!

I'll have to get them put in this week, that way I can put up actual temp numbers

 

[bbjordan]

Is the thermostat stuck open? Does it even have a thermostat?
Cardboard in front of the rad is a bad idea. I pooched a T-stat doing that once and had to endure a cold (-30 C) trip up to Yellowknife one Christmas with almost no heat.

 

[jwalterus]

yes it has a thermostat, when I got it running and it started getting cold, I replaced the thermostat and heater core, flushed out the radiator and the block, and put new hoses on to make sure I had no problems and try getting heat (because I was already having this problem), thermostat was working correctly when tested before installation (and it's the motorcraft)
I put the cardboard in there in Jan and just haven't removed it yet since the engine doesn't heat up worth a damn

the radiator appears to be original, however I am not 100% sure, it gets warm, but nothing like you'd expect from any vehicle running hard

the engine was replaced with a crate motor approx 62K ago (before it got flooded and I got the truck)
is there any way they could have enlarged the water jackets somehow???

 

[justinray]

Thats a badass problem, really. Fill your radiator with dirt! It'll probably help.

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

I was going to suggest going to an IH thermostat, but the motorcraft one should be fine. It has to be the thermostat, however. They do make a hotter thermostat for these trucks, the PO put one in mine. I took it out because it made the fan clutch cycle unloaded.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

As stated, the factory gauge doesn't mean jack. With the knowlege that the engine has been changed, I'd check the temp sensor wiring, then try a new temp sensor. If your not getting heat, there's a problem with the heater core. When the previous engine went.... who knows what was tried, or went thru the core?

The first thing I'd do is remove the cardboard! Then CHECK the thermostat. Just because it's new, doesn't mean it's functioning properly. Boil it on the stove with a thermometer...

On a side note, these engines need some heat to combust fuel. If your really running that cool, then the engine prolly isn't running at peak efficiency

My 85 Reg Cab will boil you out of the cab, even when idling for hrs.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

I don't like the factory gauge. My mechanical gauge said 230 on my way home towing a flatbed trailer with a Mercedes and tundra on the back. the stock gauge was pointed at N....

 

[OLDBULL8]

it has not used a drop of coolant since I got it, and I can pull over at any point and pop off the radiator cap without it boiling out even a little bit!

This is the part of what he's saying that's hard to believe. The only conclusion that I can figure out is that, the bottom rad hose is collapsing and there is no circulation thru the engine. With no circulation, you wouldn't get any thru the heater either. It would be interesting to check the engine and rad with a non-contact laser temp gun. Never in my life have I ever seen where you could take the cap off after running the engine for awhile and not get burnt. Thirteen lbs. pressure may not seem like a lot, but it is.

is there any way they could have enlarged the water jackets somehow???

Impossible to do. Think about it.

 

[bab029]

My dash gauge points at N too only I live where 100 degrees in the summer is routine... I really need to swing for some better instrumentation...

 

[gonecrazyi]

I had a motor that never got hot. Never figured out why. Ended up losing compression and a cylinder. Swapped a 6.9 in its place and it will burn you out of the cab with heat. I attributed the no heat to a bad t stat and low compression. I could also take the cap off after a long run and have no pressure.

 

[icanfixall]

Is the fan clutch locked up all the time??? As posted, I think your thermostat is not working correctly. From all I have found is that there is only one thermostat for these engines and it opens at 192 degrees. Others fit but do not function correctly. Something is really wrong with your cooling system. Even if your fuel was turned down so far that the engine couln't heat up you would feel the lack of power. A 6.9 engine runs cooler than a 7.3 because of the head gaskets having more coolant passages in them. Time to get another Ford factory or international 192 degree stat but test it in boiling water on the stove and use a candy thermometer for temps when it begins to open. At 212 it will be fully open.

 

[antiqueford]

My temp gauge never got higher than N all the way across MT and ND and MN. I had the heat on low at times and everything in the cooling system seems normal, guessing its the gauge or sender. My oil pressure stayed right on O the whole time too. Dunno what's up with that.

 

[redneckaggie]

my 91 will read at the n when the temp is at 190-195, however my sisters 93 will read between r and m when the temp is 195