[bigEasy08]

Hey guys,

I have tried about every trick in the book to get the upper hose to pressurize or fill up when the thermostat opens. It just stays soft and I honestly can't feel any coolant flowing through it. The car doesn't overheat when driving, but it sure as heck will in traffic. I am pretty certain that the water pump is turning in the right direction...and it isn't old at all. I'm not sure what could be the problem or what else to do. I know the thermostat is opening, and it is a 180. The electric fan cuts on at 175 and it has a 3 core fluidyne radiator.

Any help would be great. Thanks

 

[Michael Yount]

Is there some symptom or problem you're trying to solve? In 90F ambient temps the car is running at 175F-180F and not overheating? What's the problem?

If the upper hose is staying cool - then the t'stat isn't opening. No way around that. If the car isn't overheating then the t'stat is opening (or stuck open). No way around that. If the system isn't pressurizing you likely have a bad cap and the relatively mild temps we've seen this summer are probably why you haven't had an overheating problem.

So - give us some info. What problem are you trying to solve?

 

[BLWNBYU]

Well this is good timing.. Not to hijack but my car is running on the hot side and the upper radiator hose is hot, but not hard.. Do you think the thermostat could be only opening part way??

 

[bigEasy08]

Is there some symptom or problem you're trying to solve? In 90F ambient temps the car is running at 175F-180F and not overheating? What's the problem?

If the upper hose is staying cool - then the t'stat isn't opening. No way around that. If the car isn't overheating then the t'stat is opening (or stuck open). No way around that. If the system isn't pressurizing you likely have a bad cap and the relatively mild temps we've seen this summer are probably why you haven't had an overheating problem.

So - give us some info. What problem are you trying to solve?

I said that it overheats in traffic. That is the problem I am trying to solve. Not really sure what could be causing it as most people say they don't ever have overheating problems with foxbodies

 

[Michael Yount]

My bad. Missed that. My fault totally.

Overheating problems are quite common in the threads. With a 180F t'stat and the fan coming on at 175F -- the fan is running all the time once the car warms up - is that correct? Is the fan a new addition? What kind of fan? If the radiator isn't old and fouled on the inside -- then overheating in traffic almost always means that you're not moving enough air across the radiator. Do you have an aftermarket temp gauge that's accurate?

 

[bigEasy08]

My bad. Missed that. My fault totally.

Overheating problems are quite common in the threads. With a 180F t'stat and the fan coming on at 175F -- the fan is running all the time once the car warms up - is that correct? Is the fan a new addition? What kind of fan? If the radiator isn't old and fouled on the inside -- then overheating in traffic almost always means that you're not moving enough air across the radiator. Do you have an aftermarket temp gauge that's accurate?

Not a problem bud. To give you a little more info: yes, the fan is running at all times when the car is warm. I have an Autometer gauge in the car. The fan is off a crown vic and pulls a ton of air...more than a lot of aftermarket brands and has been on the car since I had it on the road. I used to have a stock radiator and thought it was the reason for the car overheating...so I put a fluidyne 3 core in it and it still overheats.

I did notice this today though...the top hose has hardly ANY coolant in it when the car is hot. It also has no pressure and I can pinch it shut after the thermostat opens. I know the thermostat opens because when I was burping the coolant system, I could watch the water get sucked out of the radiator. Also, I can see the temp gauge drop when it reaches the 185-190 range...then it will steadily rise.

However...I have deleted the A/C on the car and ran the belt the way the diagram told me, but it is turning the water pump clockwise...and to be honest, I can't remember if I got a reverse water pump on the car. Wouldn't it overheat all the time if the water pump was on backwards? I have heard of pumps still pushing water even when they are spinning backwards, but it is not near the amount it needs to push. I am getting some exhaust done on my car tomorrow, so maybe afterwards I will take the pump off and see if it is spinning the proper direction.

 

[Draggin90]

If the water pump is turning clockwise, that is the problem. It will still circulate coolant that way but it is not efficient enough to cool the engine.

 

[Angry_Man]

Is the smooth or ribbed part on the water pump pulley?

 

[Draggin90]

Should be the smooth side of the belt.

 

[Michael Yount]

The serpentine systems are designed so that the water pump rotates in the opposite direction of the crank. Crank turns clockwise and the ribbed portion of the belt fits in the grooves on the pulley; pump turns counterCW and the backside, or flat portion of the belt drives the smooth pulley on the pump. That's why they call it a 'reverse rotation' pump - because it's designed to move water properly through the system when it's rotating in the reverse direction of the crank. If you're turning that style pump in the clockwise direction -- yeah, that's a problem. You need to determine what style pump you have so that you know which way it's supposed to turn.

And you should re-design your fan control so that it comes on 5-10F above the t'stat temp. That way it's not on all the time -- under cruise when you have adequate airflow across the radiator to cool the car, the fan should be off.

 

[Bullitt95]

I have tried about every trick in the book to get the upper hose to pressurize or fill up when the thermostat opens. It just stays soft and I honestly can't feel any coolant flowing through it. The car doesn't overheat when driving, but it sure as heck will in traffic. I am pretty certain that the water pump is turning in the right direction...and it isn't old at all.

Unless you have the flat part of the drivebelt in contact with the water pump pulley, your pump is turning clockwise and won't be pumping adequate coolant.
If you do indeed have the belt routed correctly with the pump turning CCW, is there enough tension in the belt? Does the tensioner bottom out when the engine's running?