setx69fastback

had a problem the radiator fluid boiling out through the overflow when i'd get on the highway and open up, but the temp gage would never read much past cold. disconnected the top radiator hose and had a hard time getting to the bottom bolt of the thermostat housing, finally ended up breaking the bolt off by accident, and now i'm afraid i'll have to take the radiator, fan, and ac compressor off to get that bolt out. once the housing was off, there was no thermostat... but plenty of nasty buildup that i'm not sure what the best way to clean / flush out is. I've only taken the car out a few times, no clue about the previous owners, but is there anything else i should look for, problems that would be caused by running without a thermostat? whats the best way to get ride of the buildup, and any hints on how to remove a broken bolt in a place where i could barely get a small ratchet? also, what was causing the fluid overflow if the thermostat wasn't there?

Gun Jam

They make a tool called an easyout you drill into the top of the bolt shank with proper size drill then use the easy out with a wrench to remove the bolt shank...I would also heat the shank and housing with a torch until it was about 800 deg before adding any torque to the easyout.

The coolant could be puking out because of a bad radiator cap

Or


or......

a blown head gasket.


Good luck

-Gun

2+2GT

had a problem the radiator fluid boiling out through the overflow when i'd get on the highway and open up, but the temp gage would never read much past cold.
Well, either the gauge is lying (a real possibility) or the cap is shot, not holding sufficient pressure.

disconnected the top radiator hose and had a hard time getting to the bottom bolt of the thermostat housing, finally ended up breaking the bolt off by accident, and now i'm afraid i'll have to take the radiator, fan, and ac compressor off to get that bolt out.
No, if you mean you need to get the timing cover off to get straight at the bolt, maybe. This requires removing the fan, harmonic balancer, and cover/pump assembly, but not the radiator or compressor.

once the housing was off, there was no thermostat... but plenty of nasty buildup that i'm not sure what the best way to clean / flush out is.
Sounds like "Bubba" has tried his sure cure for overheating. The glop is there because the poor thing never gets up to proper temperature.

I've only taken the car out a few times, no clue about the previous owners, but is there anything else i should look for, problems that would be caused by running without a thermostat?
Well, lessee, the crap in the cooling system you saw, similar crap in the oil, and oh-yes, the car loses horsepower and fuel economy, too. Looks like Bubba (the guy who took out the thermostat) has hit the "stupid" trifecta.

whats the best way to get ride of the buildup,
Flush the hell out of the cooling system and oil system with the best chemicals you can find. The radiator may still need a trip to a radiator shop for cleaning, but you gotta try.

and any hints on how to remove a broken bolt in a place where i could barely get a small ratchet?
I never use a ratchet on this bolt, big small, or whatever. A combination wrench works every time, with no accidents. If there is no stump to grab with a Vise-Grip, then I'd hold a washer over the broken bolt, and weld through the center hole to attach the broken bolt to the washer. The heat involved usually loosens the bolt, so you can grab the washer with a pliers and screw it out.

also, what was causing the fluid overflow if the thermostat wasn't there?
The glop was preventing proper cooling.

Once you have the cooling system flushed out, and the radiator back from the shop if it was that bad, use a real Ford stainless steel 190° thermostat, glued into the thermostat housing (some gaskets are self adhesive for this purpose) and install it with the bleeder at the top. Ford 'stats have this bleeder to let air out of the engine, which takes all the drama out of filling the coolant. Use the 190°, because Ford designed these engines to run at 190°, people who use 180 or 160 are fooling themselves, it doesn't make the radiator work any better, it just keeps the engine from ever getting hot enough. If the radiator is clogged, it doesn't even do that. Fill the cooling system with a 50/50 mix of Ethylene Glycol. After that, change the oil, using an engine flush to get glop out of the oil. You get all this done, assuming it's properly tuned, you'll see a big difference.