MUSTANG overheating. Help... - Northern California Ford Owners

This is topic MUSTANG overheating. Help... in forum Tech Talk at Northern California Ford Owners .

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Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

What's up. I have a 1989 gt. Has a fresh 306 with about 6k miles. I bought a new radiator, radiator cap, waterpump and thermostat(160) and it still over heats. It's like 2 lines below 270. It's always between the "N" and the "R" on N O R M A L. I'm thinking of just taking the thermostat. Any suggestions would help!

Posted by forced331 (Member # 1270) on :

You might have a blown head gasket? Check your sending unit to make sure the gauge is accurate.

Posted by Yung Than (Member # 728) on :

Are you overflowing coolant when you overheat or are you just running hot? If coolant is disappearing but you are not overflowing you might need to check head gaskets.

Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

I'm just running hot. But coolant is still there. It's doesn't disapear.

Posted by forced331 (Member # 1270) on :

What kind of thermostat did you install? If its a superstant, replace it. I had nothing but bad luck with that stat. I went through three of those at 160 degrees and all three never opened till 210 degrees. You could try replacing the sending unit.
If everything checks out good, then look at the worst like a head gasket.
If your coolant resevior is boiling or rising up after driving conditions or when hot, it might be an indication that your head gasket might be starting to go.

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

yeah dude, i'm thinking head gasket like everyone else, and dont use those cheap ass thermos, buy a good one, like Mr. Gasket. from summit or some shit. most thermos dont open until about 10 deg. or more from what there rated, actually, i got a MR.GASKET 160 thermo, sitting in my garage, almost brand new, and its garaunteed to open at what its rated at. if you want it, lemme know, but i still think its a HG, or maybe your water pump.

Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

fuck.. I just put in new head gaskets like 6k miles ago. Waterpump in brand new(edelbrock aluminum). So u guys you think maybe I tourqued down the heads gasket on too tight when I installed my heads? I going to remove my thermostat today and see if it makes a difference.

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

coolant maybe disappearing, just slowly. check your oil, check that little hole on the bottom of your water pump, if coolant is leaking out of it, replace it. keep tabs on the coolant in you overflow.

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

did you re-surface your heads? i ALWAYS surface my heads, i dont give a fuck if i JUST put them on, if i take them back off even after like 1 minute of run time, there gonna go get surfaced. its GREAT insurance that there flat. lots of folks dont do this. maybe i'm paranoid. [Frown]

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

what did you torque them too? a little too tight wouldn't hurt anything.

Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

My dick head friend told me to torque down the heads so I did. First thing I checked was waterpump so I just bought a new one. When I turn off my car i can hear the coolant going into the overflow tank. What's that mean? So u guys think if I remove my my thermostat it won't make a difference?

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

i would replace my thermo, not remove it. but i still think its your HGs [Frown]

i'm known to be paranoid. [Big Grin]

kragen sells some good fel-pros, there like 20$ each. OH and did you put THREAD SEALANT on the shorter bolts? as they screw straight into the coolant passages.

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

did you scrape ALL the old head gasket off the motor befor you put on new ones?

Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

Yeah I scraped all that old shit off. But didn't use thread sealent. I also use fel-pro gaskets when I put it on. Now that I remember... I remember seeing krusty ass old coolant in the ports of my lower Cobra intake. Could it also be that? It almost looked like old bread in there. I scrape most of what I could reach. It was hell of it!

Posted by JohnB (Member # 969) on :

When you put the heads back on, did you put sealant on the lower head bolts? If not, there could be the problem.

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

quote:
Originally posted by NorCalRydaz:
Yeah I scraped all that old shit off. BUT I DIDNT USE THREAD SEALANT. I also use fel-pro gaskets when I put it on. Now that I remember... I remember seeing krusty ass old coolant in the ports of my lower Cobra intake. Could it also be that? It almost looked like old bread in there. I scrape most of what I could reach. It was hell of it!

there you go. pull your heads off, get them surfaced, and put thread sealant on the lower bolts.

[ June 02, 2004, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: stoauto ]

Posted by DaveG (Member # 1606) on :

Hmmm...back to basics. Do you have a mechanical fan? If mechanical, make sure your fan clutch is drawing air through the radiator.

Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

mechanical... Not sure. Fan is cracked and stock and has 170k miles on it!

Posted by FordPny (Member # 510) on :

I had this problem only cuse the coolant mixture wasnt 50/50. I added more coolant and never gets hot anymore.

Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

ok check this out. I was at a light and it's right at half way then as I continue to wait it starts to heat up! I'm going to change my fan/fan clutch in 45mins so we will see what happens.

Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

can someone tell me where the sending unit is. I just put in the fan and it still over heats!

Posted by forced331 (Member # 1270) on :

Its on the lower intake manifold towards the front on the drivers side with one wire connected to it and its brass looking. There pretty cheap to replace.

Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

Thanks everyone I figured it out

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

so what was the problem? just the sending unit???

Posted by 87 Saleen (Member # 1549) on :

so i read the whole thread, and u figured out what the problem was, BUT YOU DIDN"T TELL US?!?!

booboo

Posted by forced331 (Member # 1270) on :

What was the problem? You can at least tell us, with all the info we gave you!

Posted by Yung Than (Member # 728) on :

If you don't want to tell these guys what the overheating problem was, then PM me on the low, nobody has to know.

Posted by Gear Head (Member # 779) on :

My guess was that he installed the thermostat the wrong direction and/or the clutch fan was shot.

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

yeah, maybe he just installed the thermo backwards. [Big Grin]

Posted by 87 Saleen (Member # 1549) on :

they should make this a sticky until he comes back and tells us

Posted by cheap (Member # 858) on :

Yeah one more vote to know what the fix is.. I may have the same problem.

Posted by NorCalRydaz (Member # 3233) on :

Lolz aight guys I feel Hella stupid and I thought this thread would just go away.... It was just hella low on coolant. I was hella tripping assuming the worst but one of the guys told me to go to the basics so i opened my radiator and it was hella low. I had installed the over flow tank hose backwards. it's off a B-cool radiator so I had the top hose on the over fill hooked up to the radiator and the bottom as a drain. So everytime I turned it off it would just over flow to the ground till finally it was almost empty!! F**k I'm so stupid!! thanks for all the help guys. My stangs is cool Now. Lolz [dance]

Posted by stoauto (Member # 2803) on :

LOL, i'm sure we've all done something along those lines before, i know i have, its all part of the learning process, glad you fixed it. [patriot]

Posted by 88DroptopGT (Member # 2535) on :

Yay [Razz]

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