Does it get hot only when idling or when cruising down the highway as well? You may have an airflow problem or radiator plugged up. How well does the fluid flow with the radiator cap off?

I use a flex fan and have no problems with overheating, even at idle. The key is to keep the fan in the mouth of the shroud.

 

ok, here is what my day was like yesterday .... i turned the motor on in the morning and let it warm up. the needle is still on C. then i drove to my work which is about 12minutes away from my house, the needle is right in the middle ( in between C and H. ) then after work i drove for about 25 minutes and my needle was aleady hitting the H bar. so i let it cool off for about 30min. now it got back to the middle. so i drove back home which is about 35minutes away. and by the time i got home it was back on the H. when i got home i opened my hood and the overflow tank look like it was goin to burst open. it was BOILING HOT. so im not going to drive it anymore untill i fix this problem. what do you guys think ?!?

 

Get a gauge with numbers. Make sure the fluid is actually flowing through the radiator (including the spring in the lower hose). T-stat in the right direction?

 

what do you have in your radiator? just water? and lots of people have told you ways to fix it above, pick one that you think would do the trick and if that one does not work try the next idea untill it gets fixed, dont just b!tch about it, do something to fix it! i know you arent B!tching, im just going off of what i used to do

 

What type of driving? As an earlier poster remarked, does it cool down when you get on the freeway? This would indicate a fan or fan shroud problem, as at 55mph+ the air coming across the radiator is almost entirely due to the speed of the car and has little to do with the fan. I had this problem with an old truck where the temperature would be fine cruising along the freeway in the middle of summer, but as I slowed down off the freeway, the temperature would slowly rise up to the H mark. If the temperature is independent of the speed you are traveling at, I would start with cheap fixes then work my way up towards a new radiator. First, is the thermostat installed in the correct direction? Is the thermostat opening when the car warms up (warm it up with the cap off and see if the coolant is flowing in the radiator)? Are either of the radiator hoses soft (they could be collapsing and restricting flow)? Is the radiator clear of debris in the fins? No add-ons to the front of the car that could be interferring with air flow over the radiator? Finally, you may need a new radiator.[:@]

 

it heat up in traffic AND when im going 65mph on the freeway.... i might just do a whole overhaul on my cooling/heating problem. im going to buy a 3row alum. radiator, 3.5" shroud, a overflow tank, thermostat, a flex fan, and all new plumbing.
do you guys think it has anything to do with the internals of my engine? maybe something elst is causing this? idk

 

i read above that you should NOT get a flex fan because they go flat....

 

[quote]ORIGINAL: Soaring


Yeah, that's close to being right. With a 50/50 mix the boiling point is 223F, and with a 70/30 mix the boiling point is 235F, and the extra two pounds on the cap will also raise it a tad, so your figures are close, but a little high. Ford recommends the 13 lb. cap, and for good reason. Too much pressure will blow radiators and hoses. There should never be a need to run an engine that hot though. Mine runs in the 190 range most of the summer, and that is where these old engines were designed to run their best.
what is a cap? and what do you mean by 15pounds. on the cap?

 

what kind of fan should i get then? i dont want a electric fan. what are my options?

 

ok i found out my problem!! i drained the radiator and i seen the damn thing is clogged. it has all kinds of gunk inside! im just going to get a aluminum radiator. does it matter if i get 2/3 row?