302 ford will not warm up in cold weather??

Maybe with all of the parts swapping you ended up with the wrong pulleys so the pump is spinning faster and flowing too much coolant.

 

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the spark plugs. A too-cold plug will definitely cause the motor to run colder (DAMHIK), bumping the heat range up may help.

 

To counter, you can buy winter tires, you can buy summer tires, and you can buy all-seasons. Each has its own benefits, but arguably most factory cars are outfitted with all-seasons because most of their market doesn't change tires depending on the weather.

If you change things so it performs better, take it racing, and put summer track tires on, don't expect to have it work well in the winter without changing something. That's all I'm getting at. An engine was built to perform "better" and now it's not because of the weather. Odds are good you need to changes something, but it's going to have an opposite problem come summer. You could resize the radiator (problem solved) but come summer, will you have enough cooling? Maybe. Chance you have to take to find out.

That's really all I'm getting at here fellas, so again, apologies for going off on this.

 

The OP lives in Mississippi, not the Yukon Territory, and he can't get his truck to run at normal operating temperature. Something is wrong with this picture.

 

OP never stated what radiator he has..A stat starts to open and if radiator is too big it cools what little hot water goes through it so much that the stat never can open farther..If the radiator is small block or big six is one thing, if big block there's trouble...Vintage air I believe does not use outside air for the ac or heat so you use air that is already heated/ac as source so its like Max in new cars.....Be real sure the valve that blocks heater water flow when in ac mode is really open when in heat mode, if the valve is vacuum operated maybe vac source is bad....So...Make sure water valve is open...Block radiator/or clamp top hose to see what happens..report back ..

 

The OP sounds like he is using factory gauge. I have had them be faulty. I would use a good mechanical temp. gauge to see my actual temperature. I have a 88 gt motor in a ranchero. Aluminum heads. converted to standard rotation pump with a 1968 timing cover with a 180 thermostat. With a large 429 4 core radiator runs 180-195 depending on weather. I have had a pile of small block fords. If you think its head gasket remove thermostat and fan belt. Start the engine and look for bubbles in the filler neck of the radiator after it runs a few mins. Take your heater hoses off and check flow through the heater core. I would still bet his original post was no heat thru the heater. no flow or flapper valve to change air flow across heater core to evaporator is not working. My three cents

 

My '65 Mustang 289 always ran too cold in the winter, even when it was stock. A piece of cardboard was all it took to block enough air flow to get the heater to warm up (I would cover about half the radiator surface). After I blew up the 289, I shoe horned a 351W into the same car. I used the 289 timing cover and water pump on it. It had no problem warming up in the winter with the same radiator/etc. I'm sure the larger CI had something to do with it but I suspect the physically larger engine was also restricting some air flow through the engine compartment.

The bottom line is, try the cardboard. It is a zero cost test to see if the restricted air flow will help the situation. If it doesn't help, nothing is lost except a few minutes and an old box. If it allows the engine to warm up, then everyone can debate why.

 

Just throwing this in here.Are the the correct head gaskets installed correctly.Im not a sbf guy so dont shoot me .

 

Is that a back door comment to put a chevy in it Pete

 

I'm with using a different gauge assembly to verify the engine isn't getting warm.
I just find it hard to accept that an IC engine that runs by creating heat, runs...but doesn't get warm eventually.
I've never found getting warm to be the issue I had to deal with.
It was always the darn thing getting TOO warm!
I'm expecting this to be a two fold problem. Bad gauge and then a flow problem as a result of the engine changes.

 

Bring the thing here or get me over there.

I'll lay my hands on it and tell you where to find the problem within seconds and end the tail chasing and get things headed in the right direction. Yes I said seconds & it really is that easy.

Fixing the issue will most certainly take longer than finding it.
Unlike an electrical problem where finding it generally takes much longer than fixing it

 

BINGO ..... We have a winner! there is something said about dead horses.

 

I have a 1974 302 with a 1968 timing cover and flow cooler water pump with the passenger side inlet and v belt pulleys in my 39 ford coupe and vintage air unit that works great plenty of heat. As someone else said test the water temp with a thermometer, also Teflon tape on the threads of your sending will isolate it from being grounded and the gauge will not work rite. If your vintage air unit has the servo type water valve it may be installed wrong it has a arrow on body and must be installed in the direction of flow which is from intake manifold to heater core to water pump, also confirm it is opening .

 

Some of you guys need to go back to engine cooling 101.
If the coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber, the pressure in the combustion chamber on one compression stroke will blow the coolant out of the cooling system away from the leak. There is no way a coolant leak into the combustion chamber can cool the combustion down.
If there was a chance the coolant was entering the combustion chamber through the intake system, it may be possible to cool the combustion process, and that could effect more then one cylinder. I would be looking for a coolant leak at the intake or intake gaskets. But nothing was said about loosing coolant.

I raised concern about the actual coolant temp on page 1, and advised adding a temperature gauge with numbers on it he could read.

I fall in line with those that believe there is a mechanical/air flow issue, and that there simply is not enough accurate info on which to base a true diagnosis.
I shutter to think what might happen if he covers the rad with cardboard then cooks the motor., but a cardboard over about 1/2 the rad, watch the temp gauge, and see if it makes a difference. He should know in a 1/2 hour if it worked, and its a cheap test.
With where he lives, after this week, it might be a mute point anyway. Gene

 

Check the heater hoses,if one is hot and the other is much colder there is a restriction in the core. Even if its new does not make it good,I bought a new core for my custom 500 and it put out way less heat then the original and came to find out a couple years later that it was plugged from the start. I done everything from changing pulley sizes to different fittings on the block with no change and then bought another new core and great heat now.

 

Generally speaking (because the OP probably doesn't have this problem) a weeping coolant leak can definitely lower the temperature in the block, heads, and combustion chambers by rapidly bleeding off heat in the form of converting liquid to steam. Think about water droplets into a hot frying pan. No matter how high you put the stove, the water is going to cool the pan.
I've seen engines with combustion chamber coolant leaks so small that the engine will pass a compression test.
To say this a different way, try spraying some water into your carburetor on your running engine and see if it doesn't lower the operating temperature.

 

Heaters sometimes don't work because of air trapped in the system, not quite full & not burped.

 

HMMMM, water injection was used on high C/R engines when octane ratings were was dropped down in the 70s...

 

I agree that the thermostat doesn't suddenly open. If you put it in a pan of water and heat it you can watch it open very slowly. Even if you get the water boiling, turn off the heat to stop the boiling so you can see better and dunk the thermostat in. You will see that even if the water is hotter than the thermostat's rating, it still opens slowly. This allows the coolant to slowly flow through the system. Having cold water suddenly cool the engine wouldn't be a good thing. Instead it starts to flow slowly and mix with the warm coolant coming through the bypass hose. It cools the coolant down below the thermostat's rating and it begins to close again.

With the thermostat closed, no coolant flows through the radiator but cold air is still being pulled through the radiator by the fan. The cardboard cuts down on the cold air coming in. As had been said, it is a quick easy and cheap thing to try. If you watch the gauge you won't overheat the motor. If the temperature climbs above the normal summer range, just move or remove the cardboard.

If it isn't enough, the next easy thing to try would be to restrict the exhaust by using exhaust pipe adapters to cut down the size at the tailpipe.

Both of these are easily removed for summer driving.

 

Really??? Doesn't work that way and I have no clue where you get that idea.

Start with the obvious.
Check the heater hoses (before and after the heater valve) ...... are they all hot?
Make sure the heater valve is working..... disconnect heater hoses at the engine. hook a garden hose up to the one the heater valve is in and turn it on LOW. Move your temperature lever and see if the water flow changes. If it does then you have verified the valve works and the heater core can flow water thru it.

If you are using the electronic heater valve (not the cable type) make sure it is moving the correct direction... warm open, cold closed. I used a Classic Air kit in a Mustang that had the actuator working the opposite from what it should...... it can happen !!! Nothing could be done to make it work correctly so I relabled the temp lever. I will stick with cable systems from now on.

Get this stuff checked out and this will eliminate the obvious stuff. If it all checks out, we can visit the engine/cooling system next.

 

Man oh man , you've never seen a super steam cleaned piston from a head gasket leak?
I wanna laugh at this post but then I also want to help you understand correctly.
Sadly I feel either would be in vain

 

I would think that even when the thermostat is closed there is some (very little ) flow as it does not seal all that tight, Also some have a hole drilled in them so that some water can flow even when closed. could this flow, combined with a over sized radiator, this is in a truck right? cause the problem?

 

Does the heater core have water in it?

On my 95 mustang, I had an issue with an air bubble in the system and the heater never worked until I "burped" the system.

???

 

feel the heater hoses on both sides of the heater core to check if warm water is being circulated thru the core.

 

Everybody is fixated on the heater..... when the OP stated that the motor isn't getting up to temp. If the motor isn't getting warm, you certainly won't get any interior heat. Fix the too-cold motor part of the problem, the heater will probably take care of itself. And if he's still using the OEM truck radiator, it's about twice as large as a 'standard' 302 unit; I'd at least try the 'cardboard' fix. Fords are notoriously cold-blooded anyway, things like a blocked heat riser in the intake can make them almost undrivable in cold weather.

I'd try idling the motor for a 1/2 hour or so, then stick a candy thermometer in the radiator fill so you'll know what the coolant temp is. Those infrared no-touch thermometers aren't always that accurate.

And Ford used multiple designs for the front cover/water pump, he's admitted to a mis-match here. I'm not saying this is the problem, but is definitely something I'd look at.

 

It would be nice to hear back from the OP-ster, install a real mechanical temp gauge yet???

 

Today's Friday and we haven't heard from the OP since Tuesday.
I think his fan clutch is seized up.

 

He might not have had time to do anything yet, although the cardboard only takes minutes to try.

 

Mississippi HUh, dosen't seem like a too cold of a local. I'd go to you local cheapy auto supply, You know the ones, don't make me say the names and get a cheapy autometer mech.water gauge and if memery serves me correct you should have a couple of pipe plugs in the head and intake manifold Tap into the water passage somewhere. INfact I think there is one on the thermostat housing. Anyway run it with your original water temp and see if there is much difference to water temps to verify the gauge readings. Do a touch/feely test at the inlet and outlet of the hot water heater coil. should be warmer going in than coming out with heat full on. I have installed tow a/c heat unit. One with cable operated and one electronic controled valves I have the oposite problem in that the hot water won't close fully in summer unless unplugged. Also check for a remote t valve in the heaterlines that might get closed in the summer to keep hot water from flowing into the hot water coil in the summer they might need to be opened in the winter. Also is the heater coli higher than the radiator. You might think I'm crazy but on the 56 chevy it is and you might have a air pocket in that coil which is the highest point in the cooling system and you will need to purge the air out to get the water to flow. My wifes ot 1993 Camaro has them installed from the factory and you need to burp the air out after any cooling system repairs and walla warm air out of the ducts.

 

Im betting gauge. Buddy of mine was saying his rod was 230 plus but not burping water, said he could touch the hoses. I hooked up a mechanical to check it, hits 180 and sets there all day.