SBF overheating

Running an older 302 in my cabrio. Replaced the heads with `96 5 litre mustang last year & it ran a bit hotter but ok. I don`t run the car often but this summer its been losing coolant. Laser gun shows normal everywhere, no moisture anywhere, no brown nor foam in the oil so...wuz up! Is there a steam hole issue with Fords! Help appreciated!

 

I its not in the oil or on the ground,,, its going out the tailpipe. Head gasket? Cracked block or head?

 

Pull the plugs and check rhem as well as run a compression test on all cylinders. Most likely a blown gasket between a water jacket and a cylinder.

 

Sometimes you can check a head gasket, cracked head, or head bolt leaking by putting your hand over the tailpipe after the motor is warmed up for awhile to operating temp. & checking for moisture on your hand. Sounds primative, but it works for me.

 

Uh, is it "overheating" or "losing coolant"???

 

Oh, a leak down test may be a little more accurate.

 

you have to put the head gaskets on with the "front" at the "front", but I think it would be worse than it is if that were the problem.

Also they had some issues on the early EFI engines with the intake manifold bolts pulling up the heads, they changed the head bolt torque spec.

But there's probably some other issue with yours....and we probably don't have enough info to figure it out, yet.

 

Ford made a half dozen different intake set for the 302, probable not your problem but they don't interchange like a Chevy

 

As Jim mentioned, Ford head gaskets are directional. If you put them on backwards the steam holes get blocked. Since you kinda hint that the problem started with the new head swap, that might be something to look at. You might have done only one side wrong, which is why it is only a little hot.

Don

 

It runs at 180 but have to add coolant regularly..about a quart for 100 miles.

 

I wouldn't call 180 overheating unless you have a 160 thermostat in it.

 

OK,OK, it's not overheating when full BUT it certainly is when after a 100 miles or so the level is down.. Sorry about the wrong title but it still is losing coolant.

 

Ok. different scenario then. The only way you can lose coolant is leaks, either internal or external. Do you have a recovery tank? Do you see evidence of water leakage anywhere ? Do you detect any steam out of the tailpipes or the smell of antifreeze burning off ?

Look at your plugs and see if any of them look washed as if coolant has been entering that cylinder or cylinders.

Don

 

If there's no recovery tank on the radiator, and you fill it full, then it will loose coolant. If you don't fill it full, and it loses coolant, you have a problem....look for white smoke indicating that it's burning it, or look for drips.