i just recently did a heater core, engine, and radiator flush. There was TONS of rust in there but i cleared it all out so now my coolant is clear again. I also changed my thermostat. I have no leaks. Whenever i do hill climbs with my truck it overheats. It overheats alot slower then it did before the cooling system flush but it still overheats. What could be the problem?

 

water pump going bad?

 

i dont know if this would be a big problem but at the base of my fan there is a crack in it. but the fan still works. would a crack in the fan cause it to be less effective? Also, how can i tell if my water pump is going bad?

 

I would say your radiator is clogged from mineral deposits. Have the radiator rodded-out, or it might be best just to replace the radiator. I don't think the
crack in your fan is the problem, but I would replace it ASAP, or you will be for sure buying a new radiator!

 

That sound pretty reasonable. I also wonder if you've got too much air in there too. But really a clogged radiator seems more likely.

Generally, when you're in motion (uphill down or level) there's enough air to keep the temperature down just from forward motion so the fan isn't the issue as Bob noted. But I think I agree you'd better fix it, lol.

Does the heater work okay? If not, maybe you should revisit purging the air.

 

IMO Bob is on the right track. Have it boiled.

"rodded out" means they dis assemble it and run a rod through the cores. Some shops do it that way vs boiling in acid. Just depends on the experience/skill of the techs and the materials the rad is made of.

Rich

 

i was talkin to a guy at my auto part store and he mentioned that since my truck only has a 100k miles on it that it shouldnt need to be rodded out. How can one tell if his radiator needs to be boiled? Also, the guy mentioned that an engine doesnt cool as effective without a fan shroud..i dont have a fan shroud. can that be an issue?

 

In your original post of the coolant having "tons of rust", which shouldn't happen at 100K miles either, if the cooling system had been properly maintained. Again, I would say your radiator is plugged up!

You asked for advice, so here it is!

 

The fan shroud may come into play as well. My buddy built one for his mustang and it made a HUGE difference in cooling the fluid versus not having one at all. Look into getting it replaced as well as clearing out your radiator like the others suggested.

My truck also has a tendency to get up there on the hotter days, so I'm looking into a flush as well.

-Chance

 

Sounds like a pluged radiator to me. Did you back flush the radiator? That means run water from the suction side toward the top inlet. Over time lime builds up around the top of the tubes and almost stops the coolant flow.

Flushing could have stoped up some of the tubes and cause the trouble. Ford blocks are bad about rusting up especially if you use the wrong antifreeze in it.

 

ok sounds like some sound advice. ill look into having my radiator flushed. a new radiator is 120 bucks at Napa autoparts. I dont know how much having a radiator boiled would be. has anyone had theirs boiled before?

 

Actually, I prefer my radiators grilled with a bit of rosemary and garlic. Boiled is just so bland...

 

John you forgot the BBQ sauce...

 

I learned the KISS formula usually works well .KEEP IT Simple Stupid , no offense to any one , but a radiator , may well cost more than the real culprit .
Check the clutch , on the fan first , then repair the shroud , and make sure the tradiator cap new , and of the proper psi , 16 poundsI think it is .
And lastly before you buy the radiator , cause having it serviced will cost more than a new , make sure
You have the little vent on the thermostat , on the top .
All of these things are free.
I would also make sure that the intake is not leaking if you have the 4.0 .
Just my experiances
Ashley

 

Yes, check the fan clutch.

Yes, shroud may help.

No, a bad radiator cap may not get up to the pressure listed on it but it won't CAUSE an engine to over heat. The reason for a pressure cap is so the water can run at a higher temp before it boils. Since most engines use a 195 degF thermostat it is real close to the 212 degF boiling temp so the coolant may boil under some conditions so you need at least a 7 psi cap. That will keep the coolant from overflowing. The higher the cap pressure the more stress is on the cooling system and the higher the engine temp can get before it boils. Use the pressure cap recommended for your vehicle. If you use to high a pressure cap you can damage the cooling system. To low a pressure cap will allow it to boil at a lower temp.

Since he flushed the cooling system and got a lot of rust, etc. out the radiator could be pluged. A reputable radiator shop can clean it cheaper than replacing it. Sometimes you can look into the end of the radiator and see the tops of the tubes. If so you may be able to see any deposits around the opening of the tubes. It may not have deposits at the top and still be pluged.

It is a good idea to check all the conditions that cause over heating.

One thing that can cause over heating is blown head gaskets. If the coolant is bubbling up into the holding tank you may have a head gasket blown.

There are a lot of things to look for and it's not always easy, simple or cheap.

 

The factory cap is 16 psi , and this will allow the engine to reach nearly 230* before coming to a boil .
A bad cap , one that leaks will then have an engine that is low on coolant , and will run hot , or if it pukes all the coolant into the recovery bottle , and then does not draw it back into the engine ...
I also race a srtoker 347 w/ aluminum heads, and 2 stages of nitrous , for a total of 500 hp , so I have a Real clear understanding of how a cooling system works , and what small things will cause problems . I have been doing this for 35 years .
I know I am new here , and not looking to ruffle feathers so soon , but I am not new to cars .
Ashley

 

Ashley, the problem with the clutch theory is you don't even need the fan when in motion. It fails to address why it overheats when he's in motion up a hill.

KISS is a wonder concept, but it's not the best in some cases. Although he should address the fan issue for sure, it wouldn't cause overheating at speed. You actually don't need a fan when in motion at any kind of significant speed -- say 15 mph or over.

 

A fan is needed at low vehicle speeds , to pull air across the radiator , to exchange heat , if there is not enough air travel , you will have higher temperatures .Like you said 15 or less .
I agree that at speed there is no need for a fan , in most cases .
The KISS therory , works every time , on everything in life .
Thanks for listening , good luck

 

We're on the same page Ashley. The limited description of what he did to the cooling system limits suggestions.

With what he did and the fact he is hill climbing leads me to believe the radiator may be pluged some. However, at speed under load uphill it could be the fan or rad. or both.

As we both said, he needs to look more before buying a rad.

I'm a new dog in the pack also.

 

thank you guys for all your help. my overheating is now under control. I flushed my entire cooling system, put some rust remover in there, drained and flushed again and put some anti rust in there and changed the thermostat and then i pulled the heater core (which had lots of rust on it (which i beleive to have been the problem all along)) and replaced that. i did some wheelin earlier today and the only problem that concerned me was alot of squeaking coming from the underside of my truck. If my suspension is squeking alot when im in 4x4 wheelin, what does that mean? does something need to be greased up? anybody else had that problem?