broncomitch,

when i first started driving the mustang the temp gauge never left the middle of the gauge,now it's getting hot all the time.

this morning i pulled into work with steam comming out of the grill, so when i got off i filled the rad and it was a gallon low, for the most part it stayed cool but when i was about home the temp shot up.

im about to sell this car and i dont want to put alot of money in it, any ideas on what it could be? i keep finding little clumps of what looks like corrosion in the rad, is there anything i can put in there to brake that stuff up???

the guy is picking this car up on saturday!!!

Jackaroo

Probably the lowest cost ways that MAY solve the problem are getting a new thermostat, buying radiator flush, flushing out the goop and refilling with new coolant.

Tilley

1. check water pump to make sure it is doing its job correctly.

2. you can get a new radiator with a lifetime warranty for about $125.00 (I just got one at AutoZone).

3. fill it with 50/50 Prestone Antifreeze AND distilled water.

4. buy a new thermostat, preferably a 195 degree one. Check it before installing (if you're not sure how, ask and I can refer you to website...super-easy to do).

5. put in new radiator hoses.

You can do this for less than $200 and not have anymore problems. If you have a 289 or larger,you may want to consider a 4-row aluminum radiator with a shroud...BUT ONLY IF 1-5 DOESN'T WORK.

broncomitch,

well, i checked the stat and it opens around 195 even tho it's a 180 and it closed at 180.

the pump seems to be working, i rev the motor up and the water go's down

and water seems to be flowing through the rad with no problems.

and yes im using 100% water, mainly cus it's overheating so much and it's bad for the environment to just be waisting it.

it is a 289 without a shroud but i do have a electric fan and a flex-light fan ( both pulling) thing is, it seems to get hotter with the fan on then turn it off and the temp go's down but then right back up. ( yes im 100% sure there pulling the same way)

I called napa and a rad is $140 something and a pump is $25.
thing is im hurting for money and im already taking a big loss on the car and i really dont want to make it worse.

ic237

Try running the engine at idle with the radiator cap off. If you see bubbles that will not stop coming, then you may have blown a head gasket. Those clumps of rust you see may just be oil in the coolant. see video below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UyhjT7nWY0

broncomitch,

no bubbles or anything in water, i dont loose any oil and check the coolant level eveyday, no sine of oil.

well i flushed everything out, filled the rad up with fresh water checked for leaks and took it for a spin to cash my check % miles away in stop and go traffic total time was about 25 mins,
stayed in the operating temp range with the fan on and when i got home the water temp was 180-190.