if anyone knows what the avg running temp of this motor is please help . ive tried almost everything to cool this motor down and she is a still running at 220 maybe thats the sweet spot but I just dont think so seems hot to me and she boils over ... beating my head aginst the wall
220 is close to the high side of the operating range. But boiling over is not good. Without knowing more about the car, it's really hard to make any useful suggestions. How big is the radiator?
Mine stays 180 where the thermostat is. Fords dont like running that hot. 220 is too hot. Boiling over may be a clue.
i figured heres what im dealing with got a ford 300 outta a 96 f1 . put it in my 66 ford econoline put on a new water pump , thermostat , and got the rad boiled out .. it is a stock 66 econoline rad and checked out at the rad shop . the motor when i got it ran great and didnt overheat. ive changed all the hoses and even re routed the hoses from the heater core to see if that helped. timing is dead on and she is running great at the plugs . The only thing I can think of is something is backwards or i need a new rad .. oh yeah and i installed a elecric fan on top of the mechanical one ... thanks for the input i do know boiling over is bad ...And felt 220 was way to hot
Ya, just confirming that. Seems the only thing different between then and now is the '66 rad. Also, was the '96 a serpentine? just thinking maybe a different rotation Wp.
Feel the rad with your hand. If it's warm all over, it's working. If it's hot at the inlet and outlet but cold in the middle, it's plugged and needs to come out. Shawn
How big was the original engine in the van? maybe 170 or 200 or 240 ci? If so, that might be the problem...the radiator in it is designed to cool a smaller engine, and it's just too small for the engine you have now. What about the water pump and pulleys and stuff, is that all from the new engine, or is some of from the new engine and some from the old engine? Lots of newer engines have reverse rotation water pumps and fans because of the serpentine belts, older ones are all normal clockwise rotation.
Have you tested the accuracy of your gauge? I spent a lot of money trying to get the temp down on my first engine transplant 45 years ago only to find out that the 63 sending unit in the replacement engine didn't register correctly with the 58 gauge. I put the 58 sender in and bingo the engine ran at normal temps again. I never had a problem. Borrow one of those infrared thermometers to make sure.
If it's boiling over, then something's wrong, no matter what the guage says. Although it could be that the radiator is filled too full and there's no recover tank? If there's no recovery system, you need to leave an inch or two of air in the radiator when the engine is cold.
I believe the direction of rotation is different from your old motor to the 96, (last year made) 300. Go to your local auto parts store and look at a replacement pump to verify direction of rotation, then check your installation. 220 is too warm for daily driver. We race vintage dirt cars with 300's. On a hot night they may touch 230 after a race. On a cool night they may never top 200. Good luck Worken2much
aod or t5 behind it? also did you keep the serpentine belt or change pulleys cause some are reverse rotation? what t stat do you have in it? is this constant in town or hiway travel? i think that gears and transmission combo pays a factor too cause if a electric fan and manual isnt keeping it below 200 that isnt good.
ok originally it had a 240 the little brother to the 300 . I already changed the water pump to the correct one , it did have a serpentine belt. the rad originally cooled the 240 during its life, but the 240 i had in it always ran hot , figured the rad needed service so took it in . Now theres a 165 thermostat , new correct turning water pump and a suposedly checked out cleaned hot tanked free from debris rad . the guage is brand new and both the mechanical guage and electric ones read 220 and H I am sure this rad could cool this motor why wouldnt it . not much different from stock motor and ford put it in . I am looking at an aluminum 4 core but just dont wanna spend the $$$ right now on it ... has anyone ever heard of having a bad head gasket that will over heat the motor? not smoke and not dump water into the pan? read that a bit , and have my old 240 head and a gasket to bump the compression, but wanted it to be reliable before i started making power on the motor. still head beating on the wall thanks for any imput
Sounds like your rad is to small (btu per hour of heat rejection, maybe not size wise). A bad head gasket will also cause overheating like symptoms as hot combustion gases get pushed into the water jackets and cause boiling over. The one weak spot in 300's is the head gasket. Check the head gasket, but I am thinking it is time you upgrade to an aftermarket radiator with greater cooling capacity. Maybe Walker or US Radiator can build you a 3 or 4 core unit that will fit your van. Good Luck
thanks frozn merc... had a feeling .. might be dropping the 240 head on soon as its rebuilt then doing the rad as well... just didnt wanna keep throwing money at the problem and thougt it might be a quick fix
FrozenMerc hit the nail right on the head. I had a customer last year around this time with a 5.4 that was running hot. He replaced the water pump, radiator, 2 or 3 thermostats, hoses, sending unit, fans...never could figure it out. One day it started giving other head gasket related issues (smoke, sluggish take off) so he popped for a head gasket. I knew his problem was not related to all of those other things he replaced and I flat out told him there was something else but I couldn't put my finger on it.
My stock72 F-250 had a puny radiator and it cooled fine. I even ran 205 thermostat in it most of the time. First thing to check is the cap, if it don't hold pressure it can't cool properly. Also trapped air can cause problems, did you burp it good before topping off the rad and installing the cap? Those are the 2 most common causes for overheating I have seen over the years.
HI Tim These engines in most cases run on the cold side, If your radiator is ok & proper size start with thermostat get a good one made in US chinese one are junk,spring side goes in the block, You may have an air pocket in block, Make sure water is circulating in radiator Also some times dirt an rust can buld up around rear cyl . If it bored out Hope it is not to thin. Hope this of some help
That will remind me to look at the date of the posting! Giad u got it taken care of. Always check the simple things first.......Chuck
I just got this truck bout a year ago its a 79' ford with the 300 and replaced the gauge, the wiring, the thermostat, flushed the radiator, new dual exhaust, and surely everything else you have tried. on the other hand i replaced the radiator which was not the recommended factory size and finally saw a different temp. was running at 220 to 230 which i knew was to high but no one had an answer for me either. the comment on this board is true about leaving the coolant level down bout 2 inches down from full. i replaced other parts also like the head gasket cover which was over due and baked up. i say the temp it should run is bout 180 to 190. runs 20 miles to work in the heat and rarely gets to 200 now
I have a '79 with a 300 as well. The original rad is tiny tiny tiny. I had it cleaned and repaired, but it never would keep it cool enough. I went up one size, still fit perfect and the hoses still fit. But the radiator was a bit wider. Whether that helped or just the fact that it was new, runs nice and cool now. But no way was I buying anew radiator of the same size, when I had an option of going a bit larger. I bet if you get a newer radiator you will have no problems as well.
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