TrimDrip

I have just about come to the conclusion that the factory sending unit is the problem. I drove the car for the first time today to a buddies house to get my tailpipes welded up. When I shut the car off, the gauge was on the A of Normal after a 15 mile drive. I got out of the car and he told me to back it into the shop like a minute a later. When I got back in the car and cranked it, the level was on redline. So I assume the sending unit is the problem. I am going to keep a check on it though and park it up hill just to make sure I have all the air out. Next thread I start will hopefully be a dyno thread and we can take wild guesses at what a kb 1.5 on a stock explorer engine with meth can do.lol

TrimDrip

Well, I found the problem. My bottom hose is collapsing. It was a new hose too bought before the water pump I bought. Instead of doing the spring in the bottom hose deal, I am going to put back on the old pump. I have meth coming this week anyways so, i shouldn't have to worry about the heat problem anymore. I hope anyways.

mattdel

bottom hose collapsing is a sign of plugged radiator.

enix187

I'm sorry but that is **** facking backwards man, get a new hose, preferably a silicone set, why would you downgrade your water pump over a 12 dollar hose? Its stupid. and like Mattdel said, it points to your radiator (or a ****ty hose) replacement radiators are not very expensive, even less expensive is to have your radiator hot tanked, even less expensive is to just clean it yourself. It will probably cost you more money to have a part you bought that won't be on the car and to do the work to switch it out. C'mon man, ante up and get your car right,

TrimDrip

Well, I really don't see how the radiator could be plugged unless the tubes got sucked shut. The radiator has probably 50 miles on it since it was bought and doesn't look dirty at all, nor does the coolant. It is a 2 row with 1-3/4" in tubes.

My only reason for not doing the hose is I still have a heater core and I don't want to replace it. To me a heater core is a 4 hour job in this car. Plus the hassle of doing it. If it knew it wouldn't blow those, I would gladly pay for a new hose.

TrimDrip

Well, I put back on the old pump and changed the grease in the rear today. I let is idle for about 30 minutes and it held temp around the 195 to 200 mark. Drove it home and it stayed right there about halfway the hole way home and in the driveway for another 10 minutes. I did check it for a head gasket and it came back good. So, I guess the problem is solved for now. I have a tune next saturday so, at least I know I can get it there even though I probably will trailer it. Thanks guys.

TrimDrip

I am still wondering why the car was overheating at idle though. The hose would stay open as long as I didn't rev the engine. Shoot it with a temp gun and the heads would be 40 degrees hotter than the thermostat housing. Now they are pretty close to the same. The t-stat housing was about 185 and the heads were like 195 to 200 if I remember correctly. Also, I could cut the car off and hear air gurgling through the top hose. This is after attempts to burp the car over several says. Like a week. Just to think though. Anyways, I am glad it works now. I think the gas may have helped a bit too. It was probably close to detonation with the tune for the motor with e7 heads and stock exhaust. I did notice the exhaust temps have been lower. Course that probably has to do a lot with the cooler air of this week versus the last too.

DitchDoctor

I bought a high volume water pump for my bronco years ago (stroked 393 running a paxton 5 lbs of boost) and I overheated immediately. I have a large 4 core radiator in it and found out that water was moving too fast and didn't have time to cool (it would get progressively hotter and hotter until I sprayed the radiator down with a water hose). I took the high volume water pump off and put a stock pump back on and the problem went away.

TrimDrip

That is pretty much what this one did with the high flow thermostat. I could watch the gauge go up and down three times then it spiked to the redline and I had to shut it off. Oh course this was without the recommended hose. When I stuck a stock thermostat in, it is like it was pumping more than the thermostat could handle or something and the flow went backwards. The thermostat would read fine with the temp gun but, everything else was boiling hot. Probably not what was going on but, it acted that way.

alexyikes00

I would check the rotation on the water pump, its rare but ive heard of that being the issue.