During the summer with my a/c on my truck's temperature creeps up and gets close to the H. My truck was a non a/c truck but I installed a/c after I got it. I have also changed the fan clutch and water pump to a/c equipped truck parts. I replaced my thermostat when I did the a/c install. My hanes manual says a/c trucks take more coolant but I don't see how. I don't see any differences with the radiator between the a/c and non a/c truck. Can anyone confirm or deny any differences between a/c and non a/c truck radiators? Or can anyone chime in with their ideas to solve the cooling issues? This is mostly a problem when the outdoor temperatures climb above 95 or so which happens often in Texas.

 

No reason a 2.3l with AC would over heat regardless of outside temp.

It is hard to keep a 2.3l warm in colder climates, have to put cardboard in front of the rad.

So there is a problem in the system, as you have surmised.

Warm up the engine/rad to operating temp, i.e. drive it for 15 minutes or so.

Shut engine off and pull the fan shroud back.
(fan shroud is VERY important for cooling, if it is missing replace it)

With shroud out of the way run your hand across the radiator fins, should be hotter at the top and cooler at the bottom but only a 15deg difference.
Feel for cooler spots, those are blocked tubes, which happens with age, but a few are OK.
Feel lower rad hose, should be warm, only 15deg cooler than upper hose.

Rad that is plugging up will show more symptoms of over heating in warmer weather


Since you added AC did you place the condenser in front of the radiator?
And did you add the REQUIRED electric cooling fan to that condenser?

 

I'll report back later with my findings on any cold spots on the radiator.

Before I installed AC the truck only had a fan guard around the top of the fan, I bought a proper fan shroud and installed it before bolting any other AC parts on. I've never seen a Ranger with an electric cooling fan from factory. I have thought about adding one.

 

Odd, my 1994 4.0l has one, and it is a Canadian vehicle, so colder weather parameters.

But seems they didn't have them on the 2.3l until 2001 Duratec 2.3l DOHC, find that very odd indeed

 

I just checked my radiator. The top of my radiator is hot to the touch, could burn my hand if I kept it on there. The bottom fins are cooler just enough that it doesn't burn my hand. Same story with the top and bottom hoses. I can't fit my hands between the radiator and the pulled back fan shroud so I couldn't feel for any cold spots around the radiator. I'll have to pull my fan clutch and shroud to get a better feel of the radiator sometime this week.

The truck probably would benefit from a new radiator since I doubt my uncle ever had it replaced (he owned the truck since it was a year old up until 2012 when he gave it to me).

 

If you want to pull the rad and do a "Flip Test" on it you can, but Rads are not too expensive these days.

Flip test
If rad is cross flow, tubes run sideways, which I think it is
Put rad cap on and turn rad so it is standing up on its side, tubes go up and down
Put hand over bottom hose fitting and fill rad using garden hose via top hose port

Remove hose when rad is full

Remove hand and rad should drain instantly, there can be no "air lock" because hose openings are the same size, or close enough, if it is slow to drain then rad is clogged up.

Tilt rad a bit to get all the water out, via lower hose opening

Now the flip test
Flip rad over so top hose fitting is now at the bottom
No water should come out, if it does then it could only have come from blocked tubes that couldn't drain out the other way.

 

I did the test. The water comes out the bottom instantly. I did tilt the radiator to get the rest of the water out. Then when I flip it some water comes out the other end but not much.

 

I found this on fordparts.com

2.3L; A/T with or without A/C; #F67H-8005-NA 26mm thick radiators to replace 16mm for service

I have a manual transmission not an auto, but the core thickness on mine is 16mm. This new one from ford is 26mm which is about an inch. All the aftermarket radiators on rock auto have a 1 inch thickness. I wonder if it will make a difference.

I just red the description on the manual transmission radiator on fordparts.com and it says

Radiator
2.3L; M/T; #F67H 8005-MA - (if original part is with a "KA" suffix, this service replacement radiator may look different, side tanks are the same but has a thicker core, radiator will work better)