just finished swapping a 5.0 into my 93 fox which had a 4 cyl... its running and i filled the radiator but the temp gauge does not budge at all.. the lower hose feels like its full but the top hose feels like no fluid is reaching it..it gets hot when i run the car but no coolant is flowing in the sytem, it just seems to be sitting in the radiator and engine.. im not sure what to do next..

 

Maybe bad thermostat

 

so is it possible to take the thermostat out and run the car to see if coolant flows through through the top hose??? or what else can i do?

 

You could do that. But if it still doesn't flow it may be the water pump

 

is there any other way to find out if its the water pump? or any way to find out what it is for sure???

 

without the thermostat you should see the water flowing in the radiator.. If not then I would have to say the water pump... I thinks that's all you could really do... Please someone else chime in if I'm wrong

 

ive been trying to find anything about it but noone else seems to answer... but from what ive read it could be a bad thermostat or some kinda of blockage or something but i just need to know something to try...

 

Well first try removing the thermo.

Is the top rad hose getting hot? If it is then coolant is flowing. It's not going to heat up from ambient heat.

How do you KNOW the coolant is not flowing?

 

well my dad was just telling me that coolants not flowing but i watched him grab the hose and it wasnt rigid at all .. it compressed fairly easy when he squeezed it but it was very hot to touch.. but the temp gauge is not moving at all and was working when i had the 4cyl in my car...

 

i would put a mechanical gauge in it.... may not be over heating